Works to explore the availability of petroleum in Lake Kivu will resume in March after the first round was not successful, officials have announced.

Dr Emmanuel Munyangabe, the Deputy Director General of Geology and Mining at the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority, told Sunday Times that the exploration activities will be carried out within four months.

"Geochemical and geological surveys will be conducted to confirm if oil is in the lake. Procurement process has begun and we expect works to begin early March and end in June,” he said.

Rwanda passed a law on petroleum exploration last year. Under the law a petroleum exploration and production license is valid for three years while an investor is given a license valid for 25 years.

According to Munyangabe, the process of contracting those who will carry out the exploration was underway.

Success in exploring petroleum deposits have been found in lakes Albert and Tanganyika located on the border between Uganda and the DR Congo and are in the same basin as Lake Kivu. Munyangabe said Kivu had similar characteristics as the Lakes, including humidity.

Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli and Congolese President Joseph Kabila last year signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly explore the petroleum potential of Lake Tanganyika, which cuts across both countries.

Oil has already been discovered in the western parts of Lake Albert, and there is a great possibility that it could also be present in Lake Tanganyika. editorial@newtimes.co.rw