Khartoum and Juba governments have to cooperate with each other to keep the oil flow to the international market regardless the referendum results, a top official said.
GoSS Minister for Mining and Energy, Garang Diing Akuong, met with the press today in Juba and said the south and the north should cooperate to keep the crude sector alive.Mr. Diing explained that the south needs to export its oil in order to get revenue while the north needs to use its oil facilities so that they do not become redundant.
Mr. Diing said that cooperation has to be maintained in the event of both unity and cessation because both regions cannot afford to do away with oil profits.
He added that oil represents over 90 percent of the total revenue in the south and 70 percent in the north.
Mr. Diing announced that South Sudan plans to build three refineries in Akon, Warrap State, Bentiu for the Great Upper Nile and Terekeka for Great Equatoria to provide fuel for internal consumption and to export to the neighbouring countries.
He added that the Akon refinery has already investors.
Mr. Diing announced talks with Toyota-Kenya to export South Sudan oil through the Indian port of Lamu, in Kenyan.
He added that a new pipeline connecting Jonglei oilfields with the port of Lamu would take three to four years to be built.