By Bida Elly David
Government plans fuel products from Bentiu Oil Refinery in Unity State to supply domestic market in less than eight months’ time.
Bentiu oil refinery, which is under construction, is set to be upgraded to a capacity of 10,000 barrels per day to be able to meet domestic consumption.
A delegation led by minister of presidential affairs, Joseph Bangasi Bakasoro, visited the oil refinery over the weekend to check construction progress.
Speaking to state media at the site, Bakasoro, who is also the chairman of Nilepet Board of Directors, stressed the need for quick completion of the project.
He calls for patience as the domestic markets will begin to get fuel within eight months.
“I appeal to our public, let’s be patient; within six to eight months from today, the refinery will be operational,” he assured.
He stated that with the operation of the refinery, there will be no fuel shortage in the market since the connectivity is almost done.
“The road will be constructed, and fuel will be abundant in the market for our economy to improve for the people of South Sudan,” Bakosoro added.
The presidential affairs minister urged the government of Unity State to ensure security improvements for the safety of the workers in the oil field as well as the entire population.
“We also encourage the governor of the state to provide enough security to all the companies and contractors who are operating in the field,” he stressed.
Moreover, Minister Bakosoro also underscored that the opening of the refinery will be a source of employment for the local population in the state.
“If we are looking at the benefits of this project on the civil population of this area, most of them will be employed, and the communities will have schools and hospitals,” he noted.
Joseph Monytuil Wejang, the governor of Unity State, described the project as crucial to the local population and the country at large.
He urged the company to prioritize social corporate responsibility in the oil-producing area.
“We had a very fruitful discussion; we also touched on the services that will be delivered to the people around the refinery in terms of essential services like health, schools, water, and road connectivity,” he told state media.
The governor further emphasized that all these things are embodied in the project that is being implemented in the state.
On his part, engineer Bernard Amuor Makeny, the managing director of the national oil and gas company, Nilepet, said one of the top priorities for 2024 is upgrading the Bentiu oil refinery.
“Refinery is one of our top priorities for 2024 to address the current looming economic crisis in the country,” said Amuor.
He emphasized that the refinery is the only solution for the country to have a strong economy.
Mr. Amuor underlined that the Sudanese crisis had negatively contributed to the export of South Sudan crude oil to the international market through the Sudan pipeline, making it hard for the economy to excel.
“The crisis in Sudan was also very alarming for us in terms of export, so we are trying to refocus all our energies, attention, and efforts to make sure that the refinery is operational,” he highlighted.
According to Eng. Amuor, upgrading the refinery for its effectiveness will cost $35 million.
He added that the Kenyan Commercial Bank (KCB) had agreed to loan this sum of money to Nile-Pet for the execution of the project.