The Ministry of Petroleum has awarded contracts to three international companies to carry out the environmental Audit at the oilfields in South Sudan.
The three companies that won the awards are; Cowi AS Norway Bridge and consultants, Envag Associates Kenya, and Panloy (SGS) company limited.
Minister of Petroleum Hon. Puot Kang Chuol announced the companies on Friday.
The oil companies to be audited include Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC), Greater Pioneer Operating Companies (GPOC), and Sudd Petroleum Operating Company (SPOC).
Kang said the auditors will start their work immediately and make the report public within ninety days.
He says the companies must work as an independent and neutral body and also work following the law. Minister stated that companies must do their work to the international standard with high integrity and ethical values.
Minister Pout urges the companies to consider and put the lives of the people of South Sudan at the epicenter in the line of their work.
“We expect the contractors to complete their work within ninety days from the day of commencement. They must be independent, neutral, and ethical, and work following the law. You must put the lives of our people at the center of your work,” he stated.
However, Africano Bartel, the undersecretary in the ministry of Environment says the oil companies are supposed to conduct the environmental Audit annually.
He says the annual Auditing enables the ministry to know what is happening in the oilfields for transparency and accountability in both the oil and environmental sector.
“In our policy as a ministry, oil companies are supposed to do Auditing annually to enable us to know what is happening in the oil operations,” Bartell expressed.
He urges the contracted companies to do their work diligently and professionally. He says shoddy work may lead to the termination of the contract.
Mr. Bartel says the ministry will be waiting for the report from the companies in the next three months as stated by the minister of petroleum.
“I would like to appeal to all the firms that have been awarded the contract to do a thorough work and professionally,” he stressed.
The awarding of the contracts comes a day after the 2-day conference on oil and power concluded in Juba.