A Syrian soldier is seen in an oil field in the countryside of Qamishli, northeastern Hasakah province, Syria, on Nov 5, 2019. (STR / XINHUA)
DAMASCUS – Syrian oil and gas production has dramatically decreased because of US sanctions, the head of a state-run oil company said Saturday.
As a result of the US sanctions and military presence in Syria, oil production has decreased from 385,000 barrels per day (bpd) before the crisis to the present level of 15,000 bpd, while gas production from 30 million cubic meters per day to 10 million cubic meters per day, according to the head of the state-run Syrian Petroleum Company Farhan Jamil Abdullah.
The country is reeling under a severe energy crisis as a result of the sanctions and the US control of key oil and gas fields in northern and northeastern Syria
Abdullah spoke to Xinhua at the Fourth Syria International Petroleum, Gas and Energy Exhibition (SyrPetro 2023), which runs from July 7 to 10 in the capital Damascus, with the participation of 55 local and international companies specialized in the oil industries, excavation studies, and consultation.
ALSO READ: Syria says losses reach over $100b due to US oil trafficking
To try to mitigate the negative impact of the US policy, Abdullah said the company has intensified operations in government-controlled areas west of the Euphrates River, and is digging wells in five positions to overcome the decrease in output.
At the opening ceremony of the exhibition on Friday, Syrian Oil Minister Firas Hassan Kaddour revealed that the losses in the oil, gas, and mineral sectors in Syria are close to $100 billion, soliciting investment in the energy sector and rebuilding of the infrastructure in Syria.
Mada Ibrahim, a chemical engineer at the Syrian Gas Company, also told Xinhua that the US sanctions affected their work as they obstructed the import of necessary tools and machinery.
Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the United States and its Western allies have imposed a number of economic sanctions and restrictions on Syria.
READ MORE: Syria demands immediate withdrawal of US forces
The country is reeling under a severe energy crisis as a result of the sanctions and the US control of key oil and gas fields in northern and northeastern Syria.