Trading house BB Energy has lifted its first shipment of crude oil under a renewed prepayment arrangement with South Sudan, marking a tangible step forward in resolving a prolonged commercial dispute between the two parties. The cargo — approximately 600,000 barrels of DAR Blend crude — follows high-level engagement between BB Energy and South Sudan’s Ministries of Finance and Petroleum aimed at stabilising the long-standing energy partnership.
The two sides have agreed on a repayment framework and a forward delivery schedule. Draft documentation is currently under review, with further meetings planned in Juba to finalise a comprehensive agreement. BB Energy Chief Executive Mohamed Bassatne called the lifting “an important first step” and expressed hope that a final deal covering future deliveries would be concluded soon.
BB Energy originally entered the prepayment deal in February 2025. Deliveries were subsequently disrupted by a pipeline rupture in February 2024, which cut off supply and placed severe financial strain on the South Sudanese government. In June 2025, BB Energy filed a legal case against South Sudan in London for failing to deliver oil owed under the agreement. In November 2025, London’s High Court lifted an injunction that had blocked the sale of a 600,000-barrel cargo of Nile Blend crude, after BB Energy reached a separate agreement with rival trading firms Euro American and Meridian Energy Pte Ltd.
The legal case now appears on hold. “Given the positive engagement and tangible progress made with the authorities over the past three months, the court case remains suspended and is expected to be definitively closed as soon as a final agreement is reached on all matters,” BB Energy said in a statement to Radio Tamazuj. Officials at South Sudan’s Ministry of Petroleum could not be reached for comment.
Founded in the 1960s, BB Energy operates from hubs in London, Brussels, Geneva, Dubai, Houston and Singapore, employing more than 420 staff. In 2024, the company reported a turnover of approximately $23 billion, trading some 33 million tonnes of petroleum products and liquid gases.
SOURCE: radiotamazuj.org