South Sudan, Sudan agree to resume production at Heglig, Bamboo oil fields
December 17, 2025 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s Foreign Minister Semaya Kumba announced an agreement with the Sudanese government to resume operations at the Heglig and Bamboo oil fields in West Kordofan state, as video footage showed RSF second-in-command Abdel Rahim Dagalo touring Heglig.
Operations at the Heglig field ceased after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of the area on Dec. 8. The field contains approximately 75 oil wells and a central processing facility with a capacity of 130,000 barrels per day. It handles oil produced in South Sudan’s Unity State, which is transported and exported through Sudanese territory.
Speaking to reporters in Juba upon his return from Port Sudan, Kumba said the two countries agreed to “strengthen cooperation in security, trade, and oil, including the resumption of production at the key Heglig and Bamboo oil fields.”
The Bamboo field, located near the town of Al-Muglad in West Kordofan and operated by the 2B OPCO company, produces approximately 7,000 barrels per day.
The agreement followed talks in Port Sudan from Dec. 13 to 16 involving South Sudan’s Presidential Adviser on Security Affairs Tut Gatluak, the foreign minister, and petroleum officials. Discussions focused on restarting production and ensuring the safety of infrastructure.
The Juba delegation also visited the export terminal in Port Sudan to meet with Petrolines and Bashayer Pipeline Company, the firms responsible for transporting South Sudanese crude, to ensure steady exports.
On Dec. 10, the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) deployed to Heglig following a tripartite agreement between Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. According to South Sudanese officials, the deal involved the withdrawal of the Sudanese army and the distancing of RSF forces from the field.
Dagalo visits Heglig
Separately, RSF second-in-command Abdel Rahim Hamdan Dagalo inspected the Heglig oil fields on Wednesday, accompanied by Yusuf Alian, the head of the RSF-affiliated civil administration in West Kordofan.
In a video shared by RSF platforms, Dagalo stated that his forces had successfully “expelled remnants and mercenaries from the oil areas.” He added that attempts at destruction led by Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan would not prevent the RSF from continuing reconstruction.
Dagalo accused the army-led government of monopolizing oil revenues while leaving citizens in production areas “barefoot and naked.”