South Sudan Oil Production Drops 50%

{{Five months of fighting in South Sudan has cut the country’s economically vital oil production by nearly 50%, the United States special envoy to the country said Thursday.}}

“The conflict at this point has resulted in a reduction by almost half of oil output from South Sudan,” Ambassador Donald Booth, special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, told African-based journalists in a conference call from Washington.

Industry sources had estimated the fighting caused a drop in production of between 130,000 and 160,000 barrels per day.

That is down from around 245,000 bpd before fighting began between government and rebel forces in December.

Some of the heaviest combat has been in the oil state of Unity, which borders Sudan.