BAPCO Pump Station Number 2 Airport

Economic and geopolitical factors. The airstrip's sole purpose was to serve Pump Station 2 of the Greater Nile Oil Pipeline. Following the secession of South Sudan in July 2011, disputes over oil transit fees led to South Sudan shutting down its oil production in 2012. This halted or severely reduced the flow through the pipeline, making the pump station and its dedicated airstrip largely redundant. The subsequent lack of need and the cost of maintenance led to its abandonment.

The airport is closed and abandoned. Recent satellite imagery shows the runway is unmaintained, overgrown with vegetation, and bisected by vehicle tracks. It is no longer suitable for aviation. The adjacent pump station facility appears to be on standby or operating at a minimal level, if at all, especially given the ongoing conflict in Sudan which has further disrupted the nation's oil infrastructure.

The airstrip was a critical piece of logistical infrastructure for the Greater Nile Oil Pipeline, which was Sudan's first major oil export pipeline, completed in 1999. The pipeline transformed Sudan's economy in the early 2000s. This private, unpaved airfield, along with others at different pump stations, was vital for transporting specialist personnel, security staff, and urgent spare parts to the remote but economically crucial pump station. Operations would have been conducted by light charter aircraft (such as the Cessna Caravan or DHC-6 Twin Otter) contracted by the pipeline operator, the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC).

Effectively zero in the foreseeable future. Any prospect of reopening is entirely contingent on a stable, long-term political resolution to the conflicts in Sudan and between Sudan and South Sudan, followed by the full-scale, sustained resumption of oil transport through the pipeline. Given the current civil war in Sudan (since April 2023) and the extensive damage to national infrastructure, reopening a remote industrial airstrip is not a priority. There are no known plans or prospects for its revival.