A consortium led by CNPC has made a new crude discovery in the Gasab area, in the northern oilfields of Adar in South Sudan, which would hold more than 300 mbl of recoverable oil. It would be linked to the nearby Paloch oilfields that are operated by Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC), a consortium of CNPC, Petronas, Nilepet, SINOPEC and Tri-Ocean Energy. The consortium aims to start production by the end of 2019.
The new find comes at a time the country is working to reach its pre-war production levels of 350,000 bbl/d (2011). An intermediate objective has been set at 270,000 bbl/d for the end of 2019. South Sudan has total proven reserves of 3.5 billion barrels (the third largest in Africa) but 70% of the country remains unexplored.
Oil production has recently increased to 180,000 bbl/d from less than 130,000 bbl/d, due to prevailing peace after the government and opposition groups signed the revitalized peace agreement in September 2018 in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).