A strategic investment memorandum signed between South Sudan’s Ministry of Petroleum and UAE-based Bianchi Gold Trading Investment Company is highlighting the country’s efforts to attract new international partners as it seeks to expand investment across its oil and gas sector ahead of South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP) 2026.
Signed in Juba on July 8, the MoU establishes cooperation between the Ministry and Bianchi Gold across petroleum exploration and development, oil and gas infrastructure, refining, storage and distribution, feasibility studies and capacity building. The partnership is intended to mobilize financial and technical resources to support the development and modernization of South Sudan’s petroleum industry.
The agreement comes as South Sudan seeks to expand investment beyond its existing producing assets and attract partners capable of bringing capital, technology and expertise to new developments. The country currently has 14 open concession blocks spanning the A, B, C, D and E areas, building on the five blocks offered in South Sudan’s first-ever oil licensing round in 2021.
The opportunity extends beyond exploration and production. Cooperation covering refining, storage and distribution could support the development of domestic and midstream infrastructure, while technical studies and capacity building could help strengthen local capabilities and service provision across the sector.
South Sudan’s resource base provides a substantial platform for this investment drive. SSOP 2026 highlights 3.5 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, with nearly 90% described as untapped, and the government targeting production of 230,000 barrels per day in the short term and 450,000 barrels per day over the longer term.
Against this backdrop, the Bianchi partnership offers a timely example of the type of international investment and technical collaboration South Sudan is seeking to attract. The country’s seventh South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP) conference, taking place in Juba on November 24–25, will bring together government, investors, financiers, project developers and technology providers to advance partnerships across upstream oil and gas, refining, midstream infrastructure and power.
For South Sudan, the focus now is on converting its resource base into production, infrastructure and wider economic value. As SSOP 2026 approaches, partnerships such as the Bianchi MoU underscore the country’s drive to attract the capital, technology and expertise needed to advance that next phase of development.
To register for South Sudan Oil & Power 2026 in Juba on November 24–25, visit: https://southsudanoilpower.com/