The formerly pristine white oil tanks at Sudan's biggest refinery have turned dark due to almost two years of intense conflict, pushing the nation towards heavy reliance on costly imported fuels they struggle to pay for.
The refinery constructed by China, located approximately 70 kilometers (45 miles) north of Khartoum, fell into the hands of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This occurred shortly after clashes between the regular army began in April 2023.
For several months, the facility was hit by constant artillery fire, which led to a full closure in July 2023.
In January, the conventional forces reclaimed the refinery as they pushed forward in a broader campaign to regain control over most of Khartoum. However, progress has halted, leaving large portions of the facility severely damaged.
The tall storage tanks, formerly shining brightly in the sunlight, are now covered in soot, and the area around them is strewn with bent pipes and patches of spilled oil.
"The refinery’s deputy director, Sirajuddin Muhammad, informed AFP that certain areas have been utterly demolished and are currently non-operational. Additionally, he mentioned that several parts require complete replacement," he stated.
Prior to the conflict, Al-Jaili handled as many as 100,000 barrels daily of crude oil, fulfilling almost fifty percent of Sudan’s fuel requirements.
"The refinery played a vital role in Sudan’s economy, fulfilling 50 percent of the nation's gasoline demands, 40 percent of its diesel requirements, and 50 percent of its cooking gas needs," noted economist Khalid el-Tigani to AFP.
Following its shutdown, Sudan has had to depend on imported products to cover the shortfall, with fuel currently being supplied by the private sector through foreign exchange.
Hard currency is extremely scarce in Sudan following the intensifying conflict between the country's competing military leaders, which has displaced over 12 million individuals and severely crippled the national economy.
Currently, the Sudanese pound is trading at approximately 2,400 to the U.S. dollar, up from 600 prior to the conflict, making imported items unaffordable for most citizens.
In January, when the military reclaimed the refinery, whatever was left of it was destroyed by a huge blaze.
The RSF attributed the fire to "barrel bombs" deployed by the air force.
The conventional army alleged that the RSF intentionally set fire to it as part of a "desperate effort to demolish the nation's infrastructure."
'$1.3bn repair bill'
On Tuesday, an AFP crew toured the refinery accompanied by military protection. The route was marked by charred vehicles along the road as they drove past deserted neighborhoods.
As they drew closer to the refinery, the charred frameworks of storage tanks rose ominously against the horizon, and the pungent odor of scorched petroleum intensified.
The areas where engineers used to keep watch over the operations were entirely stripped down.
The pools of water remaining from the January firefighting efforts still hadn’t receded.
Constructed in two stages, in the years 2000 and 2006, the facility was built at a cost of $2.7 billion, with China playing the primary role.
Beijing continues to hold a 10 percent share, whereas the remaining 90 percent is controlled by the Sudanese government.
Officials from the refinery approximate that it will require an investment of at least $1.3 billion to restore operations.
"Some components have to be produced in their home countries, which dictates the repair schedule," explained Muhammad.
A worker from the refinery, who wished to remain unnamed as they were unauthorized to talk to press, mentioned that despite Sudan managing to secure the required funding, “it would likely take a minimum of three years before operations could be restarted here.”
The finding of substantial domestic oil deposits during the 1970s and 1980s reshaped Sudan's economic landscape.
However, when South Sudan gained independence in 2011, the new nation carried away roughly three-fourths of the combined country’s previous oil production.
South Sudan still relies on Sudan’s pipelines for exporting its oil and has to pay transit fees to this leftover nation, which serves as one of its primary sources of foreign currency.
However, the conflict has endangered that agreement.
Last February, the pipeline utilized for exporting South Sudan’s oil via Port Sudan on the nation's Red Sea coastline was disrupted due to clashes between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The exports remained suspended for almost a year, restarting only in January.
Post a Comment