South Sudan Opens 14 Oil Blocks, Courts Investors Ahead of SSOP 2026

Panel discussion at a previous edition of South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP), the country’s premier official energy event, held in partnership with the Ministry of Petroleum (Photo Credit: South Sudan Oil & Power 2026)

South Sudan is offering investors acreage, oilfield contracts and infrastructure projects as it works to raise oil output, with the South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP) 2026 conference set to bring the main players together in Juba on 24-25 November.

Held under the theme “Resource Renaissance – Energy-Fueled Growth for a New Generation”, the conference comes as the Ministry of Petroleum lists 14 open blocks: A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, B1, B4, C1, C2, D1, D2, E1 and E2. Existing exploration acreage includes B3, 5B and B2.

"Investors can access geological and block information through the ministry’s data-viewing and acquisition process," stated a press release from Energy, Capital and Power.

On the production side, the government wants more from fields that are already developed. That has created demand for enhanced oil recovery, well intervention, drilling, production optimisation, equipment and digital technologies. Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC) raised production to more than 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) in May 2026, while national output was reported at around 174,000 bpd in June. The government has set a short-term target of 230,000 bpd and a longer-term ambition of 450,000 bpd.

The press release seen by Dawan Africa noted that the conference aims to open a market for oilfield service companies and technology providers working across mature assets, from seismic and subsurface services to artificial lift, production chemicals, maintenance and field automation.

Nilepet’s mandate covers exploration, development, operations, production and facilities across the country’s joint operating companies.

Infrastructure is also drawing commercial interest. The United Nations documented the 2024 rupture of the Bashayer pipeline, which carries Dar Blend crude, and the disruption that followed. The release says South Sudan’s experience of export disruptions through Sudan “has reinforced the importance of resilient transportation and midstream systems”.

The Ministry of Petroleum is now seeking investment in pipelines, storage, distribution and related infrastructure.

Downstream, South Sudan is pursuing additional refining capacity, including projects around Tharjiath and Thiangrial, to increase domestic fuel supply and reduce reliance on imports. A 2025 government announcement said a mini-refinery in Unity State had become operational.

SSOP offers a setting for companies to meet partners and decision-makers directly. The 2023 edition attracted more than 600 delegates from 24 countries and produced five strategic agreements covering upstream exploration, drilling capacity, mining and regional energy cooperation.

SSOP 2026 will bring investors and suppliers together with the Ministry of Petroleum, Nilepet, operating companies, financiers, project developers, technology providers and regional energy stakeholders. In the press release, conveners have described the conference as a market where access to decision-makers, local partners and project information “can be as important as capital itself”.

The two-day event in Juba will offer a concentrated chance to identify where commercial discussions can move next. SSOP will be a global gathering as Delegates, investors and government representatives from more than 30 nations will convene to shape the future of South Sudan’s energy sector.

Apart from the hosts South Sudan, other delegates will come from Australia, Canada, China, the DRC, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, the UAE, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the U.S., and Zimbabwe among other countries.

Source: https://www.dawan.africa/news/south-sudan-opens-14-oil-blocks-courts-investors-ahead-of-ssop-2026