Rwanda Unveils Potential Oil Reserves in Lake Kivu, Paving the Way for Exploration

In a significant development for Rwanda’s natural resource sector, the National Institute of Mines, Petroleum, and Gas (RMB) has announced the discovery of 13 oil wells in Lake Kivu. Preliminary research conducted by RMB in the lake has shown promising signs of petroleum, setting the stage for potential oil extraction in the region.

RMB’s Director General, Francis Kamanzi, shared the exciting news during a parliamentary session with the Committee on Governance, Gender Equality, and the Complementarity of Men and Women on January 15, 2025. He explained that the study conducted in Lake Kivu revealed 13 locations with indications of oil, marking a crucial milestone for the country’s exploration efforts.

“The good news is that we have oil,” Kamanzi stated, emphasizing that while the research has shown clear signs of petroleum, further studies are required to assess the quantity and the cost of extraction. He noted that the oil findings in Lake Kivu could be even more significant than those found in neighboring countries, with researchers suggesting that the lake’s vast size could hold substantial untapped reserves.

Kamanzi also drew comparisons with other regions, mentioning that similar oil deposits have been discovered in Uganda, particularly in Lake Albert, and it is believed that the same oil basin extends into Lake Kivu. “Our Kivu is longer than the other lakes, and they say we could have more oil than the surrounding countries,” he added.

The discovery of oil in Lake Kivu follows years of research and exploration, including a series of studies that began in 2014. While the exploration efforts were initially put on hold, they were revived in 2019 when Canadian company Black Swan Energy discovered that oil and gas reserves in the eastern part of Lake Kivu could potentially be extracted. This aligns with the presence of methane gas in the lake’s waters, which is often found alongside oil deposits.

Rwanda’s government has already passed legislation regulating petroleum exploration and extraction, ensuring that future extraction activities will be closely monitored. If commercial quantities of oil are confirmed, Rwanda will become the third country in the East African region to discover oil, following Uganda and South Sudan.

The next phase of exploration will involve deeper drilling to confirm the oil’s viability for extraction, with further tests planned to determine the type and quantity of the oil present. RMB officials have indicated that these subsequent phases will be expensive, with the potential cost for the next round of exploration estimated to be between 8 to 10 billion Rwandan Francs.

While the exact cost and scale of extraction are yet to be determined, the discovery of oil in Lake Kivu represents a major opportunity for Rwanda to tap into a valuable natural resource that could contribute to the country’s economic growth and development.

“This is a major step forward for Rwanda, and we are excited about the possibilities this discovery opens up,” Kamanzi concluded, highlighting the long-term benefits that could come from responsible and sustainable oil extraction in the region.