An oil facility in Unity State | File photo

Bentiu Oil Refinery in Unity State has started producing refined oil products.

Three trucks of the first batch arrived in Juba on Saturday, according to the Deputy Managing Director of Nile Petroleum Corporation (Nilepet).

Engineer Yak Malong Akec who is also the Director of Downstream Department at Nilepet, says the local production is to help stabilize the economy.

“Having these three trucks today means that Nilepet has started to put the first fuel to the market not because we are looking for money. We want to have a share to help our people who are suffering,” he told state broadcaster SSBC after receiving the trucks in Juba.

“Bringing this product outside means to us the hard cost to the price of commodities in the market.”

Eng. Yak said Bentiu Refinery has started with the aim of producing 10,000 barrels per day.

“These ten thousand barrels include diesel and furnace and very soon we will also have enough diesel in our market. We also have a little petrol,” he added.

For his part, the Vice President for Nile Petroleum Group, James Lotika, said the Refinery is currently producing 3,000 barrels of refined oil a day.

“Currently we are producing 3,000 barrels a day of refined products. Basically, diesel is about 30 percent, and then heavy fuel oil, they call it furnace is about 70 percent,” Lotika said.

“In the next two to three months, we will expand it to be 10,000 barrels a day which will also produce both products diesel and heavy fuel oil.”

Mr. Lotika also revealed that there are plans to construct four more refineries across the country, one in Tharjiath.

“What we are doing is we are producing the products and Nilepet is doing the marketing. We have plans for five refineries across South Sudan in Paloch and now Bentiu is working we also have a plan to put one in Tharjiath which is Block 5,” he stated.

According to the World Bank, South Sudan is one of the most oil-dependent countries in the world, with oil accounting for almost the totality of exports, 90% of revenue, and more than one-third of its gross domestic product.

But the country relies on fuel imports for the domestic market as its oil is exported crudely to the world market.