Rwanda Clarifies Announcement of Oil Discovery in Lake Kivu

Rwanda backtracked on Wednesday regarding an earlier announcement that oil had been discovered in Lake Kivu, explaining that it is still in the exploratory phase and seeking partners, The potential discovery would mark the first-ever oil find in this landlocked country in the Great Lakes region, “The good news is that we have oil,” said Francis Kamanzi, director of the Rwanda Mines Bureau (RMB), during a parliamentary hearing, according to several media outlets, including Igihe. However, the RMB later issued a statement stating that it was too early to make definitive claims.

The statement clarified that a two-dimensional seismic survey of Lake Kivu, which Rwanda shares with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), had identified 13 “structural pockets and potential drilling locations to confirm the presence and nature of hydrocarbons.” The RMB also mentioned that it is seeking to engage relevant partners for the next stages of exploration, development, and production of oil and gas in the Lake Kivu basin.

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