Juba, Khartoum to continue oil exportation according to existing fees

September 20, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Khartoum and Juba on Wednesday have agreed to continue exportation of South Sudan crude oil through Sudan’s export pipeline according to the prices agreed.

Following his meeting with South Sudan’s oil minister Ezekiel Lul Gatkuoth in Khartoum Wednesday, Sudan’s oil minister Abdel-Rahman Osman said the two countries are cooperating fully on the oil issue to serve their mutual interests.

He expressed his country’s readiness to “provide technical support to assist South Sudan to operate Thar Jath oil field in Unity state”, saying they would provide technical and laboratory equipments as well as training opportunities.

Osman pointed out that the increase in oil production would be reflected positively on the exports of the crude for the benefit of the two countries, saying exports will continue according to the price agreed.

Juba pays $24 per barrel to export its crude through Sudan’s pipeline including $9 transit fees and $15 transitional financial arrangement according to the agreement signed between the two countries in September 2012.

For his part, Gatkuoth stressed the need to increase production from the operating fields and restarting the non-operating, praising Sudan’s role in facilitating oil exportation through its ports.

South Sudan’s oil production has dropped to 130,000 bpd from 245,000 bpd after the outbreak of the civil conflict which hindered production in the oil-rich areas of the north.

(ST)