Oil production in South Sudan has increased by 9,000 bpd from December 2014, despite sporadic fighting near the country’s oilfields
Stephen Dhieu Dau, minister of petroleum in South Sudan, said, “We were producing oil at an average of 160,000 bpd but it has been increased now from the beginning of this year. It has reached almost 168,000 bpd.”
He added that majority of production was taking place in the Upper Nile State but didn’t state why production was rising in the area.
Reuters said that production reduced by about a third since fights broke out in South Sudan, with several oilwells being damaged and output affected. Government officials had stated earlier that Sudan was planning to send equipment and engineers to boost output in the oil-rich Upper Nile State and Unity State.
Despite reports of unrest, South Sudan is expected to export an estimated 4.8mn barrels, or 171,429 barrels per day of Dar Blend crude oil in February 2015, up four per cent from 4.6mn barrels in January 2015, according to industry officials. A total of eight 600,000 barrel cargoes are scheduled for lifting in February 2015. Dar Blend is a heavy, acidic crude produced from Blocks 3 and 7 in the country’s Upper Nile State.
