Oil production and exports have been suspended in parts of Sudan and South Sudan following a drone strike on a critical oil field in Sudan, according to company statements and a local source.
The attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the Heglig Oil Field’s central processing facility on Thursday, killing a number of oil workers and prompting emergency shutdowns.
Petrolines for Crude Oil Co. Ltd (PETCO) confirmed the attack in a formal notice, stating an “Unmanned Aircraft UAV Drone” launched three missiles at the facility’s maintenance workshop and laboratory.
The company declared force majeure, a clause used when extraordinary events prevent a company from fulfilling its contracts.
The Heglig facility is a key transit hub for oil pumped from landlocked South Sudan, which relies on pipelines through Sudan to export its crude via Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
The human cost of the attack was further detailed in a testimony from a Sudanese engineer working in Heglig, who spoke to Radio Tamazuj.
“On Thursday, they targeted us here in Heglig with drones. Three of our colleagues were killed in the attack,” the engineer said. “We shut down the facility immediately on Thursday… Most of the workers left. But there are only a few of us who are still around, so I am among those who remain in Heglig to monitor how things go.”
The disruption quickly spread through the region’s interconnected oil infrastructure.
Two days after the attack, the Bashayer Pipeline Company (BAPCO), which operates pipelines linking the two countries, also initiated an emergency shutdown.
In a letter to Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC), BAPCO stated that because the Al Jabalain central processing facility and power plant “are currently under attack,” it was activating its Emergency Control Centre and shutting down operations “with immediate effect to safeguard both BAPCO and DPOC facilities.”
Both companies have described the shutdowns as precautionary measures to protect staff and infrastructure while the security situation is assessed.
The incident underscores the fragility of the vital oil industry in both nations, which are heavily dependent on oil revenues.
South Sudan relies heavily on crude oil exports, which account for more than 90% of government revenue.