The Government of Sudan, according to Kheiri Abdelrahman, the country's acting Energy Minister, is preparing to launch an international tender for 27 oil exploration blocks in the country, three of which are offshore while the rest are on land.
Investors who receive concessions should use new technology to maximise oil production from exploration data in order to rapidly achieve peak production. Detailed focus will be put on the output plans of the selected companies to ensure that they are compliant with the new oil policies.
This project is in line with the efforts of the North African nation to revive its declining oil production after the secession of South Sudan back in 2011.
After the secession, Sudan and its economy have never completely recovered from the loss of oil production. However the two countries have recently signed a draught agreement in which Sudan will enable South Sudan to restart production from Block 5A and provide technical assistance to blocks 03 and 07, both of which are located at the border between the two countries.
In the meantime the North African country has activated a new oilfield (al-Rawat oilfield) in the White Nile province. With seven wells, this oil field will add approximately 3,000 barrels per day of oil production, increasing the country's output to 64,000 bpd. According to Aiman Aboujoukh, general manager of the Sudan National Petroleum Corporation, also known as Sudapet.
He also said that the country hopes to add an additional 20,000 bpd next year if the finance ministry accepts exploration funds and reveals that the United States has indicated that it will remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation that has hindered foreign financing and debt relief.