Sudan orders shutdown of oil infrastructure after RSF drone attacks

JUBA — Sudan’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum has announced the immediate shutdown of key oil infrastructure shared with South Sudan following a series of drone attacks allegedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their backers.

In a letter dated October 24, 2025, Sudan’s Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Dr. Mohieldien Naiem Mohamed Saied, informed his South Sudanese counterpart, Deng Lual Wol, of the decision to halt operations across several vital oil transport and processing facilities, especially in Heglig.

The communication cited “systematic targeting of energy infrastructure” by the RSF militia, which has severely damaged facilities that serve both countries. The attacks reportedly affected fuel storage tanks and endangered the safety of technical staff working in the affected areas.

“It is Sudan’s decision to initiate the shutdown process of oil infrastructure, including both PETCO and BAPCO transportation systems and the two central processing facilities,” Saied stated in the letter.

While reaffirming Sudan’s commitment to supporting the evacuation of South Sudan’s crude oil, described as “a lifeline for our sisterly country”, Saied noted that operational realities made continued production untenable.

“The safety of our personnel, the imminent fuel shortages, and the need to protect these facilities all dictate that a shutdown is the appropriate course of action,” he wrote.

Following consultations with relevant authorities, Sudan instructed its operators, 2B OPCO, Petrolines for Crude Oil (PETCO), and Bashayer Pipeline Company (BAPCO), to coordinate a safe shutdown with their South Sudanese counterparts, namely Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC), Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC), and Sudd Petroleum Operating Company (SPOC).

The letter also urged South Sudan’s Ministry of Petroleum to issue matching directives to its operators to ensure a coordinated and secure suspension of operations.

The decision was later confirmed by Ling Zongfa, President of DPOC, who was notified by Mohamed Awad, General Manager of BAPCO — the entity responsible for transporting South Sudan’s crude to Port Sudan.

Sudan’s move marks another major disruption to South Sudan’s oil exports, which depend entirely on Sudanese pipelines and processing facilities for transportation to international markets.

The shutdown, which previously caused significant economic hardship for South Sudan, is expected to deepen the economic misery for a country whose revenues rely heavily on oil.

The RSF’s escalating attacks on critical infrastructure come amid Sudan’s ongoing conflict, which has already devastated much of the country’s industrial and energy sectors.

The conflict, which started in April 2023, has seen over a million refugees crossing from Sudan into South Sudan, piling more misery on the country’s already burdened humanitarian sector.