Esther Imonmion
Sudan’s Finance Minister, Gibril Ibrahim, has said the country’s oil production dropped sharply from 500,000 barrels per day to less than 30,000 following South Sudan’s independence in 2011.
Speaking on Wednesday at the Russian Energy Week Forum in Moscow, Ibrahim said Sudan lost most of its oil resources after the split, which ended decades of conflict between the two nations.
“Before the secession of South Sudan, the total reserves we had were about 5 billion barrels, and we are left with only 1.5 billion,” he said.
The minister added that production could rise to 180,000 barrels a day if Sudan partners with investors who have the required technology.
According to the International Energy Agency, Sudan’s crude oil exports fell by 84 percent between 2000 and 2023, a decline largely attributed to South Sudan’s secession.
While the split gave South Sudan control of most oil fields, the new nation has remained dependent on Sudan to transport its crude to international markets.
Sudan’s ongoing civil war has, however, threatened South Sudan’s oil revenues. Last week, the two countries signed a new agreement to protect vital oil infrastructure, including pipelines carrying South Sudan’s oil to Port Sudan on the Red Sea.