Unity Oil Fields Resume Production

This article was last updated on May 25, 2022

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The National Minister of Petroleum and Mining Stephen Dhieu Dau has officially launched the resumption of oil at Unity Oil field compound.

“Our first priority is to deliver the necessary services to the community of the oil producing areas such as cleaning drinking water, health care centers, schools and roads network. The delivery of these services has no connection with the state’s five percent oil revenues, its stipulated in the Petroleum Act that the operating companies while carrying out their duties must also provide developmental project to the community,” said Dau.

He also urges the companies to cooperate with the local community displaced and those affected by the oil attraction.

“Our oil was shut down for 15 months and now it’s time for us to resume its production and this is our own. We showdown our oil for the reason we all know,” he said.

The State Acting Governor, Deputy Governor who is also the State Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement Brig. Michael Chiangjiek Geay said: “Let us talk less and do more, when we talk more, the less we will not put things in to practices and we will be wasting all our times for nothing.”

He said the company should cooperate with the young South Sudanese working in the company and who are closer to the community.

Geay warned everybody working in the oil companies not to make any protest in any form.

The company workers were previously demonstrating citing bad leadership from the companies and were urged to solve their differences peacefully.

The President of Greater Pioneer Operating Company Mr. Cao Ji Yuan in the same occasion said they will provide the services to the community and promised to work together with the authorities concerned to fulfill their mission and to take care of the environment.

The Managing Director of Nilepet Mr. Paul Adong stated that GPOC has done a great to resume oil production but the challenges ahead are also great.

“In 2004 when I was working in Heglig, I was only a young engineer from South Sudan but now we have many engineers who are managing our oil fields,” he said.

Rubkona County Commissioner Col. Eng. William Gatjang Gieng said the community of this is expecting more development from the oil company as those living in and around the oil fields must be relocated from Chotjiok/Unity oil field to new Budang area outside the oil field.

The resumption of oil was also received with mixed reaction and complaints from the host community saying there is no proper employment procedure from the company as the locals do not get employment and all positions in the company are occupied by people employed from Juba and from other states.