The ongoing fighting in Sudan has threatened South Sudan oil exploration and exportation through Port Sudan, South Sudan’s minister of petroleum said.
“The current fighting in the Republic of Sudan has mildly affected the logistics and transportation of the critical materials and equipment through Port Sudan to our oilfields in the Republic of South Sudan,” Puot Kang told reporters.
He called on the warring parties in Khartoum to protect the crude oil pipeline infrastructure that passes through Sudan as per international law.
“We are calling on them to continue with the responsibility of protecting the infrastructure in the Republic of Sudan and that is the first thing that we would like to call upon,” the minister stressed.
“We would not want anything that would affect the exportation of oil. We do not produce (oil) in Sudan but we export our crude oil through Sudan, meaning the warring parties, under international law, have the responsibility of protecting critical infrastructure in their country.”
The war in Sudan’s capital Khartoum is between Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo who is the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Al-Burhan and his deputy Hamdan, according to media reports, disagreed over the integration of the 100,000 strong RSF into Sudan’s regular army. The move was planned to meet the key condition for the deal that both agreed after removing Bashir.
Despite the war and its effect on South Sudan oil transportation and exploration, the minister said the pipelines are all safe.
“All our oilfields facilities such as the pipelines, pump stations, field processing facilities, field surface facilities and the export marine terminal in the Republic of Sudan are well protected and safe from any damage,” Kang added.
Sudan and South Sudan are both members of the Opec+alliance, with their respective oil production concentrated along the border.
But while Sudan has access to the Red Sea to export its crude, South Sudan is landlocked, which means it relies on its neighbors’ Bayshayer terminal – around 25km south of port Sudan, to export its oil.
South Sudan minster of petroleum said the current crude production stands at 169,149.81 barrels per day.
