What happened

Sudan's war prevented Bashayer Pipeline Company from delivering diesel needed to heat South Sudan's viscous Dar Blend crude at the Al-Aylafoun pumping station. The crude congealed and stopped flowing on 10 February; after the initial stoppage was repaired, a major rupture was reported the next day about 18 kilometres north of Pump Station 3 near Ash Shawal. Fighting also prevented safe access and routine maintenance along parts of the route. Sudan's petroleum ministry declared force majeure on 16 March and Dar Petroleum Operating Company followed on 18 March, suspending production from South Sudan's Blocks 3 and 7 because their only route to the sea at the Bashayer-2 terminal was unavailable. The strongest conflict study says the warring parties refrained from directly attacking this pipeline, so the event is recorded as a conflict-driven operational rupture rather than deliberate war damage. A later UN panel timeline gives 10 February and describes the rupture near Pump Station 5, while the contemporaneous ministry account cited by Small Arms Survey separates the 10 February stoppage from the 11 February rupture north of Pump Station 3; this record preserves that discrepancy. Force majeure was lifted and production restart began in January 2025.

When cited sources give different casualty, damage or spill figures for this event, they’re reported side by side above rather than merged into one number. See how confidence levels work.