Sudan has inaugurated drilling works in the first well of Al-Rawat oil field in the White Nile state, as part of aim in increasing its production since secession of South Sudan in 2011.

Al-Rawat field or Block 26 is situated in the White Nile state but other parties are in Sennar and North Kordofan states. The oilfield is run by Al-Rawat Company a consortium of the government owned Sudapet (70 %), Express Petroleum & Gas Ltd Nigeria (15 %) and unidentified Nigerian company Mensana (15 %).

The vice-president Hasabo Abdel-Rahman who took part in the inauguration ceremony highlighted the government’s keenness "to develop oil industry and to Sudanize it to ensure the independence of national will through the ownership of the pillars of oil industry".

Hasabo said that the boom in the oil industry sector is one of the achievements of the national cadres and gave credit to the people of the White Nile and the Alrawat basin especially. He further pledged the latter will be the first to benefit from Blok-26’s dividends.

When the Al-Rawat consortium contract was signed in September 2014, it included a Canadian firm, State Oil Company Canada Ltd. with 50 % of the project. The reason why the Canadian firm dropped its participation in the consortium was not announced.

However, in May Sudapet exploration director revealed that they plan to increase Sudan’s oil production to 150,000 bpd by the end of 2017. Its current production is at 120,000 b/d. Sudantribune reports