South Sudan’s largest oil operator, Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC), will restart oil production on Wednesday, following the lifting of the force majeure on the pipeline route that runs through Sudan to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, according to South Sudan’s Minister of Petroleum, Puot Kang Chol.
The force majeure, which had been in place for 10 months, was lifted earlier this month after Sudan improved security conditions and put new security arrangements in place for the pipeline.
The force majeure was declared in March 2024, after a significant rupture in the pipeline running from South Sudan to Sudan’s port. This rupture occurred in an area affected by ongoing military activity.
The conflict in Sudan intensified in April 2023, when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, clashed with the Sudanese army in the capital, Khartoum.
With the new security arrangements in place, South Sudan’s petroleum minister announced the restart of DPOC operations in Blocks 3 and 7 on Tuesday. The operations will resume on January 8, 2025.
“We are pleased to announce the resumption of operations by Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC), following the resolution of pipeline and security concerns and the lifting of force majeure,” the minister wrote on X. “This restart has the full support of our international partners, CNPC, SINOPEC, and SSTO. It will have a significant positive impact on South Sudan’s economy.”
The minister also confirmed that both DPOC and Bashier Pipeline Company (BAPCO) have been instructed to begin operations immediately.
Since the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan, South Sudan’s oil exports have significantly declined. The country’s oil exports, which account for 90% of its government revenue, had been halted by the pipeline rupture in Sudan—currently the only route for South Sudan to export its crude oil.
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