The Ministry of Petroleum of South Sudan announced on Thursday that oil production by the Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC) has recorded a significant increase, climbing to 60,158 barrels per day from its previous output of 40,000 barrels. This substantial boost in production provides a much-needed financial lifeline and critical economic relief for the nation as it navigates ongoing fiscal challenges.
Speaking during a special honorary ceremony for GPOC President He Yanhui, Petroleum Ministry Undersecretary Dr. Santino Ayuel Longer highly commended the operating company for its exceptional efforts in successfully reversing the declining production trends that have long plagued the country’s aging oil fields.
Ayuel extolled the company’s leadership, emphasizing that the achievement stands as a powerful testament to strategic vision, resilience, innovation, and professional excellence, which enabled GPOC to reach this historic level of 60,158 barrels per day as of May 29. According to the official announcement, this successful production increase was achieved across blocks 1, 2, 3, and 4 located in Unity State, which are actively opened and operated by GPOC.
Ayuel highlighted that this milestone is particularly remarkable given the severe technical challenges associated with operating mature oil fields that possess nearly three decades of active production history. Industry experts understand that mature fields naturally suffer from substantial annual production decline rates, which in the specific case of GPOC stand at approximately 25 percent annually.
However, through rigorous technical studies, strategic leadership, and the implementation of effective, highly professional engineering measures, GPOC managed to entirely reverse this downward trajectory.
By utilizing comprehensive residual oil recovery studies combined with fast-track field development strategies and innovative production enhancement programs, the company did not merely sustain the existing output but generated significant growth.
Newly developed infrastructure alone contributed more than 6,171 barrels per day to the current total output, demonstrating the high effectiveness of the company’s structural development strategy.
According to the Ministry of Petroleum, this dramatic increase in production extends far beyond simple operational success and numbers, signaling a renewed wave of global confidence in South Sudan’s petroleum industry. Ayuel affirmed that the achievement reinforces the vital importance of strategic partnerships, technology, innovation, and a collective national determination to unlock the full potential of South Sudan’s natural resources for the direct benefit of its citizens.
He reiterated that the Government of the Republic of South Sudan remains fully committed to supporting all localized efforts aimed at strengthening, securing, and expanding the domestic oil and gas sector. While celebrating this milestone, the Undersecretary also emphasized that significant work remains ahead to maximize recovery from other existing mature fields, pursue fresh development opportunities, and prepare the nation for the next phase of growth in the petroleum industry.
For his part, GPOC President He Yanhui stated that the announcement reflects the company’s long-term commitment to sustaining this enhanced capacity while working diligently to minimize all operational risks in the fields through localized talent, creativity, advanced technology, and regional diplomacy.
Providing a broader outlook on the nation’s total output, Eng. Lual Chol Dak, Director General for Petroleum Exploration and Production at the Ministry of Petroleum, explained that South Sudan currently operates three active oil-producing blocks across Paloch, Unity State, and Tharjath.
He broke down the daily production figures, noting that DAR Petroleum produces 100,000 barrels per day in Blocks 3 and 7 in Paloch, GPOC produces 60,000 barrels per day in Blocks 1, 2, and 4 in Unity State, and SPOC operates in Tharjath with a production of 14,000 barrels per day.
This brings South Sudan’s total national oil production to an impressive 174,000 barrels per day, with technical teams actively moving forward to improve output beyond this threshold. Because South Sudan relies heavily on oil revenues to fund the vast majority of its government budget, this recent surge is expected to provide a substantial boost to national revenues during a demanding economic period.
This production milestone represents a triumphant victory for a critical domestic industry that has faced repeated, severe disruptions since South Sudan achieved independence in 2011. While national oil production once exceeded 300,000 barrels per day shortly after independence, it later suffered a sharp decline due to devastating civil conflict, chronic insecurity, aging infrastructure, and technical malfunctions in the oil fields.
The sector suffered an even greater setback in 2024 when critical exports through neighboring Sudan were completely disrupted following severe damage to a key pipeline carrying South Sudanese crude to Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal civil war since April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a conflict that has repeatedly damaged shared infrastructure, cut off vital trade routes, and heavily complicated the secure movement of South Sudanese oil exports.
