South Sudan’s oil audit oversight committee over the weekend returned to Juba after a six-day working visit to Khartoum.
The purpose of the visit was for the oil oversight body to go and introduce the American audit company, Alex Stewart International to the Sudanese government.
Alex Stewart International is a New York-based audit company that the government of South Sudan recently contracted to audit the oil sector in South Sudan.
Speaking to the press upon arrival at Juba International Airport over the weekend, the deputy chairperson of the committee, Ambassador Caesar Oliha Marko, said the visit was meant to introduce the Audit firm to the Sudanese government, particularly the Ministry of Energy and Mining in Khartoum.
“The purpose was to inform the Sudanese ministry of energy and mining about the audit because Sudan has part of the oil facilities. Most of the oil facilities are in Sudan therefore we have to make them aware that we have signed a contract with Alex Stewart,” Ambassador Oliha told reporters.
He added that the Sudanese energy ministry was ready to cooperate with South Sudan during the audit exercise.
Ambassador Oliha expressed optimism that the audit process will be successful emphasizing that the oversight committee and the national petroleum and gas commission will ensure that the audit is implemented without fail.
South Sudan’s government pays crude oil to the government of Sudan for the use of power plants in Kosti and the Al Jeli refineries located close to Khartoum. It also pays Sudan pipeline and transit fees for exporting South Sudan’s crude oil through Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
The audit exercise will be the first of its kind since the country became independent in 2011.
South Sudan's government says the company will carry out audits on financial transactions, the technology used, production costs, and environmental impact created by oil production and will cover the period 2011 to 2019.