SUDAN · ENERGY
Key Facts
- —The country Sudan is a north-east African country where the army under General Burhan has fought the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023.
- —What happened On Wednesday 21 October 2026 the Energy and Oil Ministry said Burhan had issued a decree reviving the Sudanese Petroleum Corporation, dissolved in 2019.
- —What it does The corporation runs oil exploration and production, supplies the country’s petroleum products and keeps the strategic fuel reserve.
- —Who oversees it A reconstituted Petroleum Council chaired by Burhan, with the oil, finance and justice ministers and the intelligence chief, sits above the corporation.
- —Who runs it Retired navy Major General Ismail Osman al-Hussein Abu Shouk is secretary general of the corporation.
- —Why now The Geili refinery, once Sudan’s main fuel plant, was damaged in the war, and the country now imports petroleum products.
- —Still open The announcement gives no budget, no list of assets and no start date for the corporation.
The Sudan oil corporation, officially the Sudanese Petroleum Corporation, is back after seven years. Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan revived it by decree, the Energy Ministry said on Wednesday 21 October 2026, Sudan Tribune reported in Arabic.
For US readers, the decree shows how the army-led government is tightening its grip on oil and fuel while the country is at war. Foreign companies, lenders and aid groups in Sudan’s energy sector are likely to meet this Sudan oil corporation and the oil council Burhan chairs.
What the Sudanese Petroleum Corporation Does
The Sudan oil corporation was created under the 1998 Petroleum Wealth Law as a public body with its own legal identity, based in Khartoum. Under that law it answered to the Petroleum Council and to the oil minister.
According to the ministry, its role is to develop the country’s oil wealth and use it well, through exploration and production. It also supplies petroleum products and keeps the strategic reserve, the stock of fuel held back in case supplies are cut.
Who Sits on the Revived Petroleum Council
The decree also rebuilds the Petroleum Council, which Burhan chairs as head of the Sovereignty Council, Sudan’s top ruling body. Its members are the oil, finance and justice ministers, the intelligence service director and the head of the National Investment Authority.
A small number of oil experts complete the council, Sudan Tribune said. The paper described it as a mix of sovereign, economic, technical and security bodies tied to the oil sector.
The Retired General Chosen to Run It
Burhan named Ismail Osman al-Hussein Abu Shouk, a retired navy major general, as secretary general of the Sudan oil corporation. He holds a doctorate in naval military sciences and rose through the ranks from the 29th graduating class.
In December 2025 Sudan’s central bank approved Abu Shouk as head of the state-owned Al-Neelain Bank, which drew criticism in banking circles. He later declined the post after objections to retired officers running banks.
In September 2023 he was among retired officers who signed a memo backing Burhan’s mandate to defeat the Rapid Support Forces. Sudanese media reported on 13 October that Prime Minister Kamil Idris had already named him to the post.
Why Oil and Fuel Matter to Sudan Now
The Geili refinery once met more than 60% of the country’s domestic fuel needs, Al-Mashhad Al-Sudani reported. War damage hit it, so Sudan now imports petroleum products, as our guide to the Sudan war explains.
Energy Minister Al-Mutasim Ibrahim told the Saudi-owned daily Asharq Al-Awsat that Sudan is forming working groups with Saudi Arabia on four tracks. They cover fuel supply, oil blocks in the Red Sea, a new refinery in Port Sudan and repairs to the power grid.
At an oil congress in Riyadh last week he met officials from Saudi Aramco, the state oil giant, and from SABIC and ACWA Power. Those projects still depend on what the working groups find, the report said.
What It Means for US Readers
The decree puts the oil sector under a council chaired by Burhan, with the intelligence chief at the table. That matters for Washington, which has been in contact with him, as our report on his letter to Trump shows.
Companies weighing fuel or investment deals with Sudan will need to know which body signs and which authority approves. Any such dealings would also need a review under US sanctions rules on Sudan.
What Is Not Known
The announcement does not say what budget the Sudan oil corporation will receive or which oil assets, fields and pipelines it will take over. It also gives no date for the corporation to start work.
It is open how the Sudan oil corporation will share duties with the Energy and Oil Ministry. The announcement also does not say why the corporation was dissolved in 2019.
More: Sudan news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sudan oil corporation?
The Sudan oil corporation is a state body created under the 1998 Petroleum Wealth Law to develop the country’s oil. It runs exploration and production, supplies petroleum products and keeps the strategic reserve.
Who decided to revive it?
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who chairs the Sovereignty Council and leads the army, issued the decree. The Energy and Oil Ministry announced it on Wednesday 21 October 2026.
Who runs the Sudan oil corporation now?
Retired navy Major General Ismail Osman al-Hussein Abu Shouk is its secretary general. The Petroleum Council, chaired by Burhan, oversees it.
Why was the Sudan oil corporation dissolved in 2019?
The announcement says only that it was dissolved in 2019, seven years ago. It gives no reason.
Does the decree change US sanctions on Sudan?
Nothing in the announcement touches sanctions. Companies should still check US rules before any deal with Sudan’s oil sector.
Sources: Sudan Tribune (Arabic), Burhan revives the Sudanese Petroleum Corporation after 7 years, 21 October 2026; Akhbar al-Sudan via Al-Mashhad Al-Sudani, founding of the oil body under Burhan, 22 October 2026; Akhbar al-Sudan via Al-Mashhad Al-Sudani, Sudan moves to restore oil capacity with Saudi support, 22 October 2026; Akhbar al-Sudan via Al-Mashhad Al-Sudani, prime minister names retired major general to the oil corporation, 13 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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