South Sudan is scheduled to pump 3 million barrels of crude oil in September for export. This will be 7.14% increase on its exports as compared to the level it produced in August.
Khartoum and Juba in July 2018, agreed to repair the damaged oil wells and to resume oil production in several oil fields that had halted production following several years of armed conflict that was affecting the two countries.
South Sudanese Oil Minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth speaking to reporters in Khartoum on July 31 indicated that oil production will resume on September 2 with estimated 45,000 barrels per day from El Toor and Toma South fields. Then massive production with follow in other oil fields in Munga and Unity.
South Sudan expects the production to rise up to 100,000 barrels per day to met the target of a 3 million barrels in September cumulatively. Before the armed conflicts in 2013, South Sudan was producing 250,000 barrels per day.
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.
The country’s oil production is expected to increase steadily in the coming months, as the income will be dedicated to funding infrastructures and recovery programmes in the country and the peace implementation process.
The main buyers of the South Sudanese heavy oil crude are China, India and Japan.
