• London court halts sale of about 600,000 barrels tied to a loan dispute

• BB Energy says South Sudan failed to deliver crude for a $100 million prepayment

• Court order stays in place while the High Court reviews the case

BB Energy has obtained an urgent injunction from the High Court in London preventing South Sudan from selling about 600,000 barrels of crude that were due for export at the end of November. The information was reported on November 18 by Global Trade Review (GTR), a platform focused on global trade and trade finance.

According to GTR, the shipment, valued at no less than $20 million, is tied to a dispute over an oil prepayment received by the South Sudanese government. The dispute stems from a loan granted in February 2024 by BB Energy through its Dubai-based subsidiary.

At the time, South Sudan received $100 million, a sum intended in part to resolve an earlier dispute with Petronas, the Malaysian state oil and gas company. Under the agreement, the loan was to be repaid through five cargoes of Dar blend or Nile blend, the two crude grades produced in South Sudan.

The trader says that none of the scheduled deliveries have taken place. It claims that some volumes were allocated to other buyers, a situation described in the High Court judgment based on evidence submitted by BB Energy.

The UK court found that BB Energy could request a suspension of the sale while the dispute is under review. According to court documents cited by GTR, the injunction is based on the risk that the country may be unable to repay the amounts owed. BB Energy estimates the outstanding debt at no less than $61.5 million, excluding undelivered cargoes.

The judge noted that relying later on damages may not ensure recovery because of uncertainties about South Sudan’s financial capacity.

The country continues to face economic pressure, partly due to disruptions to crude exports through Sudan, the usual transit route for its oil.

The case will now be reviewed on its merits by the High Court. The injunction will remain in place until the ruling. A report by Sudd Institute published in October 2025 states that South Sudan faces several oil-backed financial commitments and an external oil debt estimated at about $2.3 billion, some of which has not been repaid.