Sudan says not signed deal with UK’s White Nile

KHARTOUM, Feb 21 (Reuters) – The Sudanese government said on Monday it had not signed an exploration deal with UK-based oil firm White Nile , whose shares were suspended last week pending more detail on a reported deal in the African country.

“The Energy and Mining Ministry is the only body authorised to grant oil exploration contracts in the Sudan and we have not done so (for White Nile).” Mohamed Siddig, a spokesman at the Ministry for Energy and Mining, told Reuters.

White Nile, whose shares were suspended at 137 pence on Wednesday after soaring from a market debut of 10p on Feb. 10, was not immediately available for comment.

White Nile said last Wednesday it had sealed a deal to buy a 60 percent stake in the 67,500 square km Block Ba, which contains part of the key Muglad Basin production area, from “the Government of South Sudan”.

It was not immediately clear to which entity White Nile was referring.

The government in Khartoum signed a peace deal with the southern rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in January, under which oil revenues would be split between the north and the south of the vast African country.

The SPLM had no immediate comment on the White Nile case. Siddig said the SPLM had no right to award oil concessions.

White Nile had planned to publish more details on the deal last week, but said on Friday it would not be able to provide the information until this week.