(JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN) – South Sudan’s caretaker Minister of Petroleum, Engineer Awou Daniel Chuang, has reported to President Salva Kiir on the ministry’s performance and on his participation in the launch of an oil refinery project in Lamu, Kenya.
The meeting took place on 16th October 2026, according to a statement from the Office of the President. It was Awou’s first courtesy visit to Kiir since his appointment as caretaker minister.
Awou told the President that he and his team are working to revive and strengthen the ministry’s operations to ensure it delivers on its mandate. He also stated the team’s commitment to improving operations and advancing activities in the oil sector.
The statement did not provide details on the refinery’s capacity, cost, financing or South Sudan’s specific role in the project. It also did not say whether South Sudan has an equity stake, supply agreement or construction contract linked to the Lamu development.
The briefing comes as South Sudan’s oil sector remains central to the country’s fiscal position. Oil accounts for more than 90% of public revenue and about 95% of exports, according to the African Development Bank. Output has been recovering since the pipeline through neighbouring Sudan reopened in January 2025, but production remains below the levels recorded before the conflict in Sudan disrupted exports in 2023.
South Sudan has long discussed building its own refinery, but progress has been limited by financing, security and logistics constraints. The country has no functioning large-scale refinery and relies on imports for refined fuel, despite producing crude oil.
In December 2024, the Council of Ministers approved a $3 billion plan to construct a new refinery at Tharjiath in Unity State, to be financed through a public-private partnership. Under the arrangement, the national oil company Nilepet would hold a 30% stake, with Quad Layer Holdings holding the remaining 70%. The government said the project would reduce reliance on imported petroleum products and create jobs. A smaller mini refinery in Unity State was declared operational in May 2025.
Separately, South Sudan signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese firm Shengli Oilfield Keer Engineering and Construction Company in August 2024 to construct modern refinery and storage facilities. In July 2026, the Ministry of Petroleum signed another memorandum with Bianchi Gold Trading Investment Company covering refineries, storage and feasibility studies.
A more ambitious project with South Africa has stalled. The agreement, signed in 2018, provided for a 60,000 barrel-per-day refinery at Pagak, with South Africa’s Strategic Fuel Fund holding 90% and Nilepet the remaining 10%. The project has faced delays linked to seasonal flooding, poor infrastructure, security risks and unexploded ordnance in the Jonglei sub-basin. South Africa’s national petroleum company has said the project remains in the exploration phase and that nearly $20 million had been spent as of October 2026.
The Ministry of Petroleum has also outlined plans for additional refining capacity, including a proposed 30,000 barrel-per-day plant at Tharjiath and further units at Thiangrial and Pagak.
The Office of the President did not say when the ministry’s next performance review would take place or what specific targets Awou has been set.
