Sudan has attributed the failure of the latest round of talks with South Sudan on oil to Juba’s “negative attitude,” accusing its southern neighbors of plotting to topple the government in Khartoum.

The government in Khartoum has requested that Petrodar, one of the JV companies responsible for South Sudan production, load 600,000 barrels of South Sudanese crude for export. Petrodar denied Khartoum’s request backing the south’s right to the crude. Petrodar said that it needed the government in South Sudan’s permission to load the crude for export.

South Sudan on Tuesday denied scrutinising rumours regarding the close links between two international oil companies, who work in the new nation, and the Sudanese government.

Total SA (FP) has agreed to begin oil exploration in the South Sudanese state of Jonglei where it holds a concession, the newly independent nation’s chief negotiator said.

The Sudanese president Omer Al-Bashir on Sunday confirmed that his country has released impounded oil shipments of South Sudan, urging acceleration of diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute.

South Sudan on Saturday said it had shut down 90% of its oil production, a day after the latest talks to resolve a fee dispute with north Sudan failed in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir heeded to a request from the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and agreed to release three tankers carrying oil cargoes belonging to South Sudan that were held by Khartoum since earlier this month.

Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ali Karti on Wednesday said that an oil deal with South Sudan is unlikely to be reached in light of the latter’s support to insurgents in border areas.

Chinese and other Asian oil firms operating in newly-independent South Sudan on Friday signed new contracts with the government to replace existing deals with north Sudan.

South Sudan said the operators of a pipeline that carries its oil exports to Port Sudan have warned
the facility may be closed in two days unless a blockade being imposed by neighboring Sudan on its shipments is lifted.