Khaberni - The Syrian army established control over the Omar, Tank, Jafra, and Azbah oil fields, as well as the Koniko gas field, while the Syrian Oil Company said it had received the Rasafah and Safiyan fields after they were reclaimed from Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and were being put back into service.
Furthermore, the Syrian Oil Minister Mohammed Bashir stated that state institutions had begun taking over critical facilities such as oil fields and pumping stations to ensure operational continuity.
The governor of the Central Bank of Syria, Abdel Qader Al-Husriya, confirmed that the return of state resources to an institutional framework is a necessary step for restoring monetary balance and enhancing the effectiveness of financial management tools.
The Syrian government aims to increase oil production to reach 100,000 barrels per day, up from 30,000 barrels in 2023.
Syria's proven oil reserves are estimated at about 2.5 billion barrels, placing it 32nd globally among the largest oil reserve holders.
In the gas sector, the Syrian government expects to increase gas production to 15 million cubic meters by 2026.
Syria's Plans for the Oil and Gas Sector
In a conversation with Al Jazeera, oil expert Mustafa Al-Sayyed said the retrieval of Syria's largest oil fields had restored the main source of foreign currency to the Syrian economy, noting that it tops the Syrian exports abroad despite much of this oil being wasted or stolen.
Al-Sayyed mentioned that the Ministry of Oil had prepared a plan for maintaining the fields and noted that the ministry had signed multiple agreements in the energy sector with parties in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt, while the Syrian Oil Company attempts to reclaim its experienced staff from abroad.
Regarding plans for building petrochemical plants, Al-Sayyed said there is a plan to build a factory near Deir ez-Zor as well as an oil refinery that had been planned in 2010, adding that there is also a plan to establish a facility east of Homs, as confirmed by a military source, according to Al Jazeera.
The Challenge of Increasing Production
Oil expert Amer Al-Shoubaki said that the plains of Jazeera are Syria's oil and gas reservoir, and that state control over oil fields will put financial pressure on the Syrian Democratic Forces after it had previously pressured the Syrian state.
He added that gaining control over the Konoko gas plant means more electricity generation, noting that controlling the Omar field deprives Syrian Democratic Forces of a financial resource, considering it produced approximately 80,000 barrels per day, but has now switched to the Syrian government.
SDF did not disclose the field’s production when it was under their control, but Global Energy Monitor indicated that its production had plummeted to 20,000 barrels per day, from 80,000 before 2011.
According to Al-Shoubaki, the biggest challenge facing the state after gaining control of oil and gas fields is to increase their production especially after lifting sanctions on Syria, which could help attract investments that may double the production of these fields and thus increase revenues.
Al-Shoubaki anticipated that Syria's oil production could double with the entry of specialized oil companies investing in the Syrian economy, suggesting that Syria would meet its energy needs and could export the surplus abroad.
Syrian Oil Fields
In this report, Al Jazeera Net presents information about the fields that have been reclaimed and other Syrian fields:
Major fields reclaimed:
1- Omar Field – Deir ez-Zor
The largest oil field in Syria in terms of production capacity before 2011, it produced 80,000 barrels per day and was the backbone of Syrian oil exports, but now produces 20,000 barrels per day, according to Global Energy Monitor.
2- Tank Field – Deir ez-Zor
A major field in the Euphrates basin east of Deir ez-Zor, it produced 40,000 barrels per day in 2011 but now produces 1,000 barrels per day and is classified among medium-sized fields with relatively light oil.
3- Koniko Gas Field
A gas field that produced 13 million cubic meters per day in 2011 and is now halted.
4- Jafra Field
A small to medium-sized field in the vicinity of Deir ez-Zor, listed among the assets of the Syrian Oil Company before 2011.
Other Syrian Fields
1- Al-Ward Field – Deir ez-Zor
During the pre-war period, before 2011, the oil field had an output of about 50,000 barrels per day, but the last announced production for the field was about 5,000 barrels per day, according to Global Energy Monitor.
2- Al-Taym Field
Located southeast of Deir ez-Zor, it produced 50,000 barrels per day in 2011 and today produces 2,500 barrels per day. It is one of the fields that support local production and is not among the largest fields.
3- Al-Suwaydiyah Field – Hasakah
Al-Suwaydiyah oil field is located in the city of Suwaydiyah in the Malikyah region in Hasakah province, and it is one of the most important and oldest oil fields discovered in Syria. It produced about 116,000 barrels per day in 2011 but currently produces 7,000 barrels per day, according to Global Energy Monitor.
Other oil and gas fields in Syria, including those under state control:
Al-Sha'er Field: 3 million cubic meters per day of gas, and 9,000 barrels per day in 2011.
In addition to the Al-Jihar field in the Palmyra area, central Syria.
And some are still under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces such as:
Rumailan: Producing 116,000 barrels per day in 2011, it currently produces 7,000 barrels per day.
In addition to the Al-Yaarubiyah (previously Tel Adas) and Al-Jibsah fields in Hasakah.
A Sector Struck by War
The Syrian oil sector, along with agriculture, was the backbone of the country's economy, with major global companies such as Shell and Total Energies investing in it.
However, 14 years of war have weakened Syria's capacity to produce and refine its crude oil, with the withdrawal of global companies and harsh Western sanctions still in effect making it extremely difficult for the country to regain its former glory.
Before the war erupted in 2011, Syria produced between 380,000 and 400,000 barrels per day of crude oil, enough to meet its domestic consumption and supply the international market with part of the production. It also produced 316 million cubic feet per day of natural gas, as cited by Standard and Poor's based on data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration for 2015.
Syria reached its peak oil production in 1996 at more than 582,000 barrels per day according to the Washington Institute, which noted that the losses in the oil and gas sectors in Syria amounted to about $115.2 billion.
The oil and gas fields and Syrian infrastructure were severely damaged and neglected, with current oil production now at 100,000 barrels per day, according to Global Energy Monitor.
The reduced production has led Syria to rely heavily on supplies from Iran, which had supported Bashar al-Assad, until the situation changed with the fall of his regime.
The production of natural gas was 30 million cubic meters prior to 2011, and it is now 10 million cubic meters.
