The Citizen (Juba)
Mary Ajith Goch
27 January 2012
Juba — Undisclosed oil wealth have been revealed during the shutting down of South Sudan oil production and closure of pipeline whose crude for export runs through the Sudan pipeline to the port terminals.
According to the Minister of Petroleum and Mining Stephen Dhieu Dau, more oil wealth was discovered in the two producing oil States of Unity and Upper Nile during the shutting down of oil production in the Country.
He said it was discovered that oil production in Unity State was 600 barrels and above per day but the oil which was calculated for South Sudan in a day was much less than that quantity without giving more details.
“Some wealth of South Sudan were not accounted for during oil production,” the Minister said.
He told the Parliament that South Sudan was producing a lot of oil but Sudan did not account for it as it was assumed that there was less production without calculation.
The Minister said the halting of oil production has become a “blessing” to South Sudan that it has more resources underground while an alternative pipeline which will not pass through Sudan is constructed.
He said the construction of our own oil pipeline for South Sudan has become a top national project in the Country and assured that the Ministry of Petroleum would put measures in place to protect citizens on environmental effects which might result from oil production.
On Tuesday the National Legislature directed the Government to look for alternative pipelines that would be cheaper, to pass through one country that does not have any relations with the Sudan.
The Legislators have further said that before production of oil is resumed survey must be done to clearly know how much oil is pumped out per day.
AllAfrica – All the Time