Uganda’s developmental plans in the oil and gas sector will allow the country to gain up to $20b in investments in the next three years. The African nation currently begins its first developmental phase, which involves the construction of a crude oil pipeline to be completed by 2020, Oil News Kenya reported.

According to Procurement and Logistics Online, the projects cover the 24-inche 1445-kilometer crude oil pipeline, an oil refinery in Hoima, amid other facilities that are expected to be launched by the end of 2017 when the final investment decision (FID) is reached.

The Front End Engineering Design (FEED) has already started and is expected to be finalized by the end of 2017 at the cost of $11m with Gulf Integrated Engineering holding the project.

The Association of Uganda Oil and Gas Service Providers’ CEO, Emmanuel Mugarura, noted that the six-meter deep heated pipeline with 10 pumping stations is expected to cost up to $4.5b as per the initial study, with Total E&P having agreed to finance the project, while the refinery (to be built in three phases) is expected to cost $3.5 b.