Sudanese technical team in South Sudan to repair oil facilities

December 16, 201 (KHARTOUM) – A Sudanese technical team Monday travelled to South Sudan to rehabilitate facilities that have stopped production for several years following the eruption of the war in December 2013.

Last November officials from the two countries agreed to extend a deal on oil exportation through the Red Sea and to continue technical cooperation to re-launch oil production from Thar Jath oilfield block 5A as well as technical work on the second phase of the Unity and Toma South oilfields.

“A technical team from 2B Opco travelled to South Sudan to set a timetable for restarting re-pumping oil from areas where production has been disrupted and to make the necessary arrangements,” Hamid Suleiman the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Mining Hamid Suleiman told Sudan Tribune on Monday.

2B Opco is a Sudanese oil operating company established by the state-owned Sudapet and PETCO, a private company.

Suleiman further said that a South Sudanese delegation headed by Mayen Wol Jong the Undersecretary of the Petroleum Ministry would arrive in Khartoum this week to discuss issues related to oil production without providing further details.

South Sudan heavily relies on oil income to fund up to 98% of its budget. Also, it relies on the Sudanese pipeline to export its oil production through the Red Sea.

South Sudan oil production decreased during the five-year war to 130,000 barrels of oil a day from 350,000 bpd before the devastating conflict.

The block 5A, which pumped 45,000 bpd, has a particular problem related to the high rate of acid in the oil that reduced its production to 5,000 barrels

To reduce the aggressive corrosion attack of the hydrochloric acid on production tubing oil workers add inhibitors but the inhibition process in such case is complicated and requires more times.

(ST)