South Sudan suspends oil operations Friday, 20 January 2012 18:13 South Sudan >>> .The South Sudan Council of Ministers has resolved to shut down the oil operation in the country; just days after the President Salva Kiir directed all the oil companies to avail their contract documents for scrutiny.
The Council directed the ministry of petroleum to immediately begin the process of shutting down oil operations in the oil fields of South Sudan. The Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin disclosed this to the press on Friday after the meeting of council of ministers in Juba. Marial says the decision to stop oil operations was reached after listening and deliberating on the report of the minister of petroleum and mining. According to the government spokesperson, the report shows that Sudan has unilaterally taken South Sudan's oil worth $350million. The Council also directed the minister of petroleum to begin the process of building an alternative pipeline and oil refinery for the country. South Sudan has also called all diplomats and ambassadors in Juba to convene for an immediate briefing on current development on oil. The council's decision comes at a time when the two countries' talks on oil, boarders and the sharing of debts incurred before the secession among others once again reached a deadlock in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian Capital. It is not clear why the talks failed this time. However, the two parties have always disagreed on oil transit fees through Port Sudan. At least 98% of the new nation's revenue comes from oil revenue production. It remains to be seen how the country will cope without oil production -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob?hl=en.
