JUBA, South Sudan, March 13 (UPI) -- The South Sudan government could start sending oil for exports through Sudan within two weeks, a bilateral agreement stipulates.
South Sudan, which is landlocked, secured the bulk of regional oil reserves when it gained independence from Sudan in 2011. Sudan, however, controls export infrastructure tied to ports along the Red Sea.
Under the terms of an agreement reached in Ethiopia, both sides said they would call on oil companies to restart processing, production and transportation within two weeks, the independent Sudan Tribune reports.
The report notes that it's unclear how long it would take before oil from South Sudan reaches pipelines through Sudan, however.
Similar deals were brokered last year, though the terms weren't upheld. Kenya and South Sudan had discussed building a 1,200-mile crude oil pipeline that would reach ports along Indian Ocean.
South Sudan relies almost exclusively on oil revenue for its income.
South Sudan and Sudan approached the brink of war last year following disputes over oil in the border territory of Heglig.
