South Sudan plans to resume its oil production at 90,000 barrels per day after a nearly year-long halt caused by the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
The interruption began in February 2023 when Sudan invoked a force majeure clause, halting oil exports to international markets. However, South Sudan is set to restart production after its northern neighbor lifted the ban on January 4, 2025.
Oil contributes 90% of the country’s GDP, making this move vital for its economic recovery. Despite the growing global shift toward green energy, South Sudan has no intention of slowing down its oil production.
The country’s petroleum minister, Puot Kang Chol, emphasized that the nation, and Africa at large, will continue to use oil resources for its survival. He affirmed that oil resources are crucial for meeting the country’s immediate needs, including healthcare and food security.
Puot Kang Chol, South Sudan’s minister of petroleum, said, “With the force majeure having been officially lifted by the government of Sudan, through its letter dated the 4th 2025 and based on that, the Ministry of Petroleum and partners would like to declare that the kickoff date of resumption is tomorrow. This is basically to say our ‘D-Day’ that we have been waiting for is tomorrow, the 8th of January, 2025.”
Chol is adamant that Juba will continue to pump more oil to the global market even as the work to replace fossil fuels with green energy picks up momentum.
“We will continue to produce. … South Sudan, and not only South Sudan, the continent called Africa, will continue to use oil resources for its own survival,” he said.
