The Military government of Sudan has ordered an emergency shutdown of oil facilities in its Heglig region after a fresh attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
A move that threatens to halt all of South Sudan’s crude oil exports.
Detailed in a letter from Sudan’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, The unprecedented directive highlights the escalating security crisis that is now directly imperiling the economic lifeline of its southern neighbor.
In a letter dated August 30, 2025, and addressed to South Sudan’s undersecretary of petroleum, Eng. Deng Lual Wol, Sudan’s Acting Undersecretary, Dr. Fadul Mahmoud, announced that due to “renewed attacks on Heglig oil facilities,” two key operating companies, 2B OPCO and PETCO, have been instructed to activate an “Emergency Shutdown Plan” and evacuate all personnel.
The letter explicitly blames the RSF, the paramilitary group in a protracted war with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), for the latest assault.
According to the letter seen by the Nile Witness, the attack, which occurred around 2:30 a.m. on August 30, reportedly destroyed the Heglig airport’s terminal and caused widespread panic among staff at the Central Processing Facility (CPF) and Pumping Station #1 (PS#1).
The Sudanese ministry, described the attack as not an isolated incident.
It noted that the attack comes just days after a similar drone strike on August 26, which killed five people and wounded seven, forcing a reduction in staffing to a minimum.
Dr. Mahmoud stressed that the Heglig basecamp is a “purely civilian infrastructure with no military presence” and that these “unprovoked attacks” pose a serious threat to the stability of oil flows.
The Heglig facilities are a critical hub for South Sudan, a landlocked country that relies entirely on a pipeline network through Sudan to export its crude oil via Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
With an estimated 110,000 barrels per day flowing through the system, a prolonged shutdown would be a catastrophic blow to South Sudan’s already fragile economy, which depends almost entirely on oil revenue.
Sudan’s letter warned that due to the security risks and reduced staffing, PETCO would be unable to meet its crude oil lifting schedule for the month.
While the letter from Khartoum expresses an understanding of the “criticality of crude oil exports to Republic of South Sudan,” it underscores the paramount importance of personnel safety.
However the Sudanese petroleum ministry promise to provide updates on the shutdown procedure and a call for continued coordination between the two nations, highlighting the shared vulnerability and the need for a collaborative response to the escalating crisis.
