Heglig, December 3 (Darfur24)
The oil sector in West Kordofan State is reportedly facing one of its most severe and complex crises since the large-scale attack on the Balila area in October 2023, an assault that forced the suspension of operations in several fields following the withdrawal of government forces.
Today, the conflict has drawn closer to the Heglig oil fields, home to the central processing station for crude produced in West Kordofan and South Sudan, after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the nearby town of Babanusa. The Sudanese army now maintains control only over the 90th Brigade headquarters in Heglig.
Field sources from Heglig told Darfur24 that Block 4 has been entirely offline since October 2023. The block, which includes the Neem, Dafra, and Kanar fields, is connected by a main pipeline to the Heglig processing facilities that also handle South Sudanese crude from the Unity, Tor, Nar, and Toma South fields.
According to the sources, the Balila block remains the most heavily affected. The 2023 attack forced the operating company to shut down the fields and evacuate workers amid escalating insecurity. The assault resulted in the complete destruction of the Dafra field, partial damage to the Neem field, and the looting of critical equipment, bringing production in Block 4 to a total standstill.
Meanwhile, Block 2A continues to operate, including the Bamboo field and several wells in the Heglig area. The central processing unit remains functional despite sustaining partial damage in a series of drone attacks that also affected multiple Heglig wells.
On November 13, a drone strike on the Heglig oil field killed an engineer and injured two others. An engineer who spoke to Darfur24 said the strike hit the field’s analysis laboratory around noon, killing the supervisor who was inside at the time.
Heglig Airport was also targeted by drone attacks, causing partial damage and destroying several warehouses, along with inflicting significant harm on the central processing plant. Despite this, crude pumping operations continued without major interruption.
Sources within the Balila block said the Chinese company Petro Energy, operator of the block in partnership with Sudan’s Ministry of Energy, was likewise forced to halt production and evacuate staff after Balila Airport was bombed early in the war. Production in the block, including the Al-Barsaya field, remains fully suspended.
In crude processing, sources noted that the Sudanese company Babco continues to operate the central processing unit in Jebel Aulia to handle Fulaig crude in coordination with South Sudan, though increasing logistical challenges are complicating operations.
Engineering sources at Bitco reported that the pipelines connecting Heglig to Port Sudan remain operational, supported by five main pumping stations, but face persistent risks due to unstable security conditions along the route.
The company 2P UCO, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Energy and one of the leading operators in West Kordofan, oversees Blocks 2A, 2P, and 4 and relies entirely on Sudanese engineering and technical staff.
In a statement on November 19, the Ministry of Petroleum confirmed that South Sudan’s crude exports had fully resumed after drone attacks temporarily disrupted operations at the Heglig and Jebelain facilities. The ministry said crude flows have now returned to normal through the pipeline system to the Red Sea export terminal, reaffirming Khartoum’s commitment to securing South Sudan’s oil infrastructure as a vital source of national revenue.
The Sudanese army continues to control the Heglig military base near the town of Panakuac in South Sudan’s Ruweng Administrative Area, while the Rapid Support Forces maintain control over Al-Mujlad locality and hold positions in Kharsana, the last area north of Heglig.