Kampala — THE Acholi Paramount Chief (Rwot), David Onen Achana II, has advised his subjects to form groups so that they can demand oil royalties from the exploration company in the region.

He said when they form a forum, it will be easy to pressurise Heritage International Gas and Oil Company in a bid to benefit from the oil.

"It is unfortunate that since oil drilling started last year, we have not been told what is going on. You need to form associations to hold them accountable," Rwot Acana said on Wednesday while visiting Anaka sub-county in Gulu district.

According to Amuru district leaders, for over a year now Heritage International has been working quietly at the discovered oil fields without informing them.

The company engineer, Abdul Byakagaba, said they had a few wells and were expecting over sh400m barrels of oil, when production kicks off in 2011.

He said the company is carrying out appraisal drilling to delineate the extent of oil reservoirs. Heritage has identified 10 wells in the North and South of the Nile.