A top official in South Sudan 's national oil company said Wednesday that oil exports were expected to reach the international market by May after South Sudan and Sudan signed an agreement signaling their commitment to resuming crude-oil shipments from the South through Sudanese pipelines.

A May resumption of exports is "within the spectrum and that is expected," said the official, who asked not to be named, as oil production hadn't restarted yet. He said the national oil company, Nilepet, could gradually restart oil flows at short notice, but some uncertainties remain, since the company hasn't yet received an official order to resume production.

"More technical discussion has to take place prior to the startup," the official said.

Analysts and traders have cast doubt over the speed at which South Sudan could restart exports through war-damaged oil facilities.

The International Energy Agency said Wednesday in its monthly report on oil markets that South Sudanese production could restart slowly as soon as May, one month earlier than it had previously forecast. It said production could reach around 220,000 barrels a day by the end of the year, still below the country's pre-independence capacity of 350,000 barrels a day.

Officials said Tuesday Sudan and South Sudan had reached a deal that could see crude shipments from South Sudan start flowing through Sudanese pipelines and ports within two weeks. South Sudan last January halted its crude shipments, estimated at roughly 350,000 barrels a day, amid a spat with its northern neighbor over oil transit fees and a border dispute.

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