An oil facility in Unity State | File photo

Production of oil in some parts of Unity State will soon resume, the Minister of Petroleum has said.

This comes after the government said it purchased the necessary equipment to expedite the production process.

There have been reports of oil pollution in oil-producing areas, including Ruweng, Northern Liech, Southern Liech and Northern Upper Nile.

Minister Puot Kang announced that some of the fields need proper rehabilitation and maintenance after a pipeline in Rubkona oil field raptured, leaving communities there exposed to a health hazard.

The crude oil linkages are said to have lasted for two days before the communities realized and reported the matter to the company.

Block 5A oil field is managed by Greater Pioneer Operating Company or GPOC.

The spill was related to an old pipeline that took long without replacement.

Kang said the equipment the government purchased will help manage the spills and boost oil production in block 5A.

“We would want to resume production in block 5A and we cannot do that without the necessary equipment on the ground,” he told the state-run SSBC.

In July this year, oil production dropped to 170,000 barrels per day from 185,000 due to coronavirus pandemic.

Production in Upper Nile reduced from 130,000 barrels per day to 120,000 barrels per day and in Unity state, it dropped from 60,000 to 50,000 barrels per day.

The drop in production is the result of global economic slowdown due to the virus that has seen oil prices drop to about 40 US dollars.