China’s Shengli Oilfield Keer Engineering and Construction Company (Sokec) has signed an agreement with South Sudan’s state-owned Nile Petroleum Corporation (Nilepet) to build modern oil refinery and storage facilities in the country.
President of Sokec Wu Song and Managing Director of Nilepet Muhammad Lino Benjamin signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will see the Chinese firm immediately begin investing in South Sudan.
Benjamin hailed Sokec for it’s contribution to the development of the youngest nation in Africa.
“With this MoU, we hope you will be able to translate it into agreements and projects that we will do together,” he said at the signing ceremony in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
Wu said Sokec will embark on investment without hesitation, aiming to enhance production capabilities and operational efficiency.
“We will start our preparation work as soon as possible on the refinery and storage facilities,” he said.
The high-level delegation from the Chinese firm began a two-day visit on Monday to the oil fields in Tharjiath, Unity State, to inspect the facilities and assess the current state of the refinery operations.
Kuol Deng Maleith, Director General of Midstream at Nilepet, highlighted the visit by representatives from the Chinese firm as a key milestone in modernizing and expanding South Sudan’s oil industry. He stressed the vital importance of international investors in advancing the country’s oil sector and contributing to its overall economic growth.
