Uganda appoints Vitol to market 'Pearl Sweet' crude ahead of 2027 exports Uganda has appointed global commodities trader Vitol to market its newly branded Pearl Sweet crude, with the country targeting its first exports from early 2027 as its oil infrastructure nears completion.
Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) said Vitol would market the government's and UNOC's allocation of the crude. President Yoweri Museveni formally unveiled the Pearl Sweet name on September 2 during a visit to the Kingfisher Development Area in Kikuube District.
The name combines Uganda's “Pearl of Africa” identity with the petroleum-industry term “sweet”, referring to the crude's relatively low sulphur content. Uganda's Petroleum Authority has put sulphur content at about 0.16% by weight.
“We are here to celebrate and give this baby (oil) a name. These people have told me to name this baby Pearl Sweet Petroleum. We call it sweet because it does not have sulphur. https://www.intellinews.com/uganda-appoints-vitol-to-market-pearl-sweet-c
3
2September 7, 2026 904 3
