South Sudan’s Minister of Petroleum Puot Kang Chol has said that the country’s local refinery is now operational and will soon supply the 10 regional states and countries in the region with refined oil products.

The facility which is based in Bentiu, capital of the oil-rich Unity state, started operations in March this year.

The minister says the refined products – petrol and diesel – will be enough for domestic consumption and for supply to the neighbouring countries.

Bentiu’s refinery has the capacity to produce up to 10,000 barrels per day (bpd) but currently it is operating at the capacity of 3,000 bpd.

It is just one of the five planned refineries in the country.

“The refinery is operational, we only have issues to do with evacuation – the evacuation routes are the problem now for bringing the products to the cities. It will be cheaper for our people and this is the only way they will realise that they have oil,” Mr Kang told the BBC.

He said South Sudan has the biggest oil reserves in the region and should be the hub and the biggest supplier of oil products.