Oil and gas fields were a central point in the agreement signed last Monday between Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and the Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi. The agreement stipulates the integration of all civilian and military institutions affiliated with the Kurdish self-administration under the framework of the Syrian state.
In an official statement, the Syrian Presidency confirmed that the agreement includes the transfer of border crossings, airports, and oil and gas fields to state administration. This raises key questions about which fields were under SDF control and the scale of their production.
Major Oil and Gas Fields Under SDF Control
SDF controlled some of Syria’s largest oil fields, including Al-Omar, the country’s largest oil field, as well as Al-Tanak and Jafra in Deir ez-Zor. Additionally, they held smaller oil fields in Hasakah and Raqqa, along with two major gas fields: Conoco in Deir ez-Zor and Al-Suwaidiyah in Hasakah.
According to a report by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, a document from the Syrian Democratic Forces detailing oil well distribution before and after the Syrian revolution revealed that Deir ez-Zor’s oil fields once produced around 130,000 barrels per day, accounting for one-third of Syria’s total oil production at the time. Under SDF control, production dropped significantly to approximately 15,000 barrels per day, while oil fields remaining under regime control in the same province produced an estimated 7,000 barrels daily.
Key Oil Fields and Their Production
- Al-Omar Oil Field
- Located 10 km east of Mayadin.
- Once Syria’s largest oil field, producing 80,000 barrels per day in the 1990s.
- Currently under SDF control, with production reduced to around 20,000 barrels daily.
- Conoco Gas Field
- Situated east of Deir ez-Zor, also under SDF control.
- Previously produced 13 million cubic meters of natural gas per day.
- Currently non-operational.
- Jafra Oil Field
- Located east of Deir ez-Zor.
- Formerly produced 2,000 barrels per day, now down to 1,000 barrels daily under SDF control.
- Rmelan and Al-Suwaidiyah Fields (Hasakah Governorate)
- Home to 1,322 oil wells and 25 gas wells in Al-Suwaidiyah.
- Past production reached 90,000 barrels per day, now reduced to 9,000 barrels daily.
- Al-Suwaidiyah gas facility currently produces 13,000 gas cylinders daily and 500,000 cubic meters of gas for power stations.
- Jibseh Fields (Hasakah Governorate)
- Formerly produced 2,500 barrels per day, now down to 2,000 barrels.
- The associated gas facility is currently inactive.
- Raqqa Governorate Oil Fields
- Includes Al-Thawra Oil Field (southwest of Raqqa) and smaller fields like Al-Wahhab, Al-Fahd, Dubaysan, Al-Qusayr, Abu Al-Qatat, and Abu Qattash near Al-Rasafa.
- These fields historically had low production and currently yield a combined 2,000 barrels per day.
Overall Oil Production in Syria
In 2021, Syria’s total oil production was estimated at 31.4 million barrels, with a daily average of 85,900 barrels. Of this, only 16,000 barrels per day were reaching Syria’s refineries, according to data from the Ministry of Oil.
The recent agreement marks a significant shift in Syria’s energy sector, bringing vital oil and gas resources under state administration amid broader efforts to reintegrate SDF-controlled territories into the national framework.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
