Sudan will join OPEC soon: OPEC official

Sudan will soon become a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the state-owned News Agency of Nigeria reported on Sunday.

OPEC President Edmund Daukoru was quoted as saying Sudan was interested in joining the OPEC.

Daukoru, who is Nigerian minister of state for petroleum resources, said, "We held fruitful discussions with Sudanese authorities in that regard, but we will be silent to avoid being misinterpreted."

He added that the OPEC last week extended an invitation to Sudan to join OPEC to enable it gain from its hydrocarbon resources.

"OPEC will not leave any stone unturned in its desire to have more members in the crude oil market," he said.

Daukoru said the invitation was a deliberate effort to have more members from Africa.

He also said talks had also reached advanced stage to invite Angola to join the OPEC, adding that Sudan was considering the invitation with enthusiasm. Sudan has a production capacity of over 500,000 barrels per day of crude oil.

Source: Xinhua