South Sudan says 22 million barrels of oil sold since July

South Sudan has sold 22 million barrels of oil to international buyers through the north’s Port Sudan export terminal since independence, at an estimated value of $2.14 billion, the oil ministry said.

The announcement, made late on Wednesday, comes in spite of a bitter unresolved row between Khartoum and Juba about the fees the south owes for using the north’s oil infrastructure.

“Since achieving independence on July 9, 2011, the ministry of petroleum and mining... has contracted the sale of 22 million barrels for export crude oil,” the ministry said in a statement.

“This volume covers the July through October 2011 period and is transiting by ship through Port Sudan marine terminal to international buyers located in Asia and Europe.”

“The ministry estimates the total value of exports for this period at $2.14 billion (1.6 billion euros), based on current market prices,” it added.

South Sudan, which formally split from the north on July 9, produces three-quarters of Sudan’s total crude output of around 470,000 barrels per day.