The Government of South Sudan has reached an agreement with Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to protect a 237-kilometer stretch of the Greater Nile Oil Pipeline in an active war zone and ensure the smooth flow of South Sudan’s crude oil to Port Sudan for export to international markets.
The broken pipeline has resulted in the South Sudanese currency depreciating against the U.S. dollar and other currencies to an all-time low, public service salaries have gone unpaid for 10 months, and the price of both imported and locally sourced goods skyrocketing.
The broken oil pipeline infrastructure, which until recently carried more than 150,000 barrels of crude oil to the Red Sea coastline in Sudan, ceased operating in February following clashes that resulted in a blockage caused by gelling in the pipeline due to a lack of diesel needed to thin out the crude.
“The area that is controlled by the RSF and point affected starts from Station 3 to Station 4, which is about 237 kilometers and we do not have direct communication with the rebel forces,” Eng. Mohamed Saleh Osman, Director of the Sudanese Pipelines Company, told Radio Tamazuj exclusively on Friday.
He revealed that the government of South Sudan had struck a separate deal with the RSF to facilitate the movement of people in the area under their control.
“According to the RSF’s agreement with our brothers and sisters in South Sudan, they will not touch the pipeline and will not touch civilians and this will give a space for transportation of fuel and spare parts,” Eng. Saleh added.
The Sudanese engineer, however, did not give more details about the deal reached between South Sudan and the RSF who have been fighting the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) for control of power since 15 April 2023.
Saleh, who is also the Chairman of the Crude Oil Pipeline Processing Committee at Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC), said they have just concluded a joint workshop with South Sudan to discuss and agree on the modalities for the resumption of the South Sudan crude oil through Sudan.
“We held a three-day workshop at DPOC offices and agreed on a joint plan for resumption of the crude oil of South Sudan,” he said.
When asked about the timeline for the resumption of the crude oil, Eng. Saleh said the crude oil is expected to arrive in Port Sudan after three months.
“We have put in place a clear timeline on when the pumping will begin, when the wells will start working, and when the pumping from Paloch to Jebelain will start and from Jebelain to the other pipelines will start,” he explained. “We expect the pumping stage of the crude oil to start after 45 days. We have no right from our side to coordinate the protection of the pipeline with the RSF, but the authorities in South Sudan coordinated the issue from their side to ensure a smooth flow of the oil.”
Regarding the fees and shares between the two countries, Saleh revealed that they agreed with the South Sudan authorities in Port Sudan that the issue of shares would be discussed later after the resumption of oil production.
“My message is that people should be patient and all will be fine. I can say work on the pipeline is progressing well and it will work soon but we need some support from partners and South Sudan,” he stated. “Stoppage of oil production has affected the two countries, so resumption of oil has a mutual benefit economically.”
South Sudan relies on Sudan to export its crude oil through a pipeline to the Red Sea via Khartoum where fighting is ongoing.
Under the Transitional Financial Arrangement signed soon after South Sudan’s independence in 2011, Juba pays Khartoum fees and non-commercial tariffs to ship its crude to international markets.
Oil accounts for more than 90 percent of South Sudan’s revenue.