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On Syria's Oil Wealth
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.Text taken from the Telegram channel of S. Shilov SYRIAN "BLACK GOLD" Before the war, Syria was an insignificant oil exporter – production was only 0.5% of the world total. This gave the budget 25-30% of income. And it was not a very rich country.  However, before the war, it covered all its consumption and exported "black gold". The production record was about 600,000 barrels per day, but the figure has been steadily falling over the years. In 2010 – 383,000. Many associate support for the protests in 2011 with a severe drought and problems in the economy. However, even without the drought and then the war, sooner or later, without investment in production, the budget would have lost significant export income. Today, oil exports are out of the question – if you add up all the oil produced, including in the Kurdish territories, you get a maximum of about 116 thousand barrels per day. In the current deplorable situation - with a destroyed industry, the "old" Syria of Assad consumes about 140,000 barrels per day. Oil consumption in the pre-war and calm 2010 was about 290,000 per day (a drop of more than two times). Of these current 140,000 consumed, about 60,000 (over 40%) were imported by Iran by sea on credit, 16 thousand were produced by the Assad government (11.4% - a pittance!). Another 20,000 were given to him by the Kurds under the agreement - from sources I read that the volume was 30% of what was produced in the Kurdish territories. But no one in Damascus could check the volumes. Or did not really want to... You understand - in these matters people have many temptations. The rest of the deficit of 44,000 (approximately 30%) the government sought on the black market... from the same Kurds. And here there were even more temptations to buy at one price and sell at another. The government needed money for oil supplies from Iran and the Kurds. Given the temptations of the clans, for the population all this resulted in a constant depreciation of the national currency against the dollar, to hyperinflation. This is in addition to the unofficial levies on businesses and the population by the Syrian 4th Division and the like. And other problems in the economy. But let's get back to the Kurds. There was a figure that production on their territory was 100,000. The fields themselves had previously been barbarically exploited by ISIS and many wells were essentially finished. But 100 thousand is the most optimistic figure. In 2020, the Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources of Syria described the situation as follows: “Oil production in Syria reached 89,000 barrels per day. Of these, about 80,000 were stolen. That is, almost all the oil produced in the east of the country is stolen.” And it is stolen by the Americans, sold through their company Delta Crescent under black schemes to the same Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan. One of the beneficiaries of Delta Crescent is an ardent Russophobe and extremist - Republican Lindsey Graham. He recently threatened sanctions against Turkey - what a coincidence - if pro-Turkish groups attack Kurdish territories. The senator's hat flares so brightly (like a gas torch) when he worries about the Kurds. Now there is an attempt to agree between the Kurds and the new Syrian authorities - how the oil will be divided. This issue knocked out the previous government. Meetings are underway between the Turks and the Americans. For the United States, in addition to business, oil is a lever of pressure on HTS and the new Syria. They will try to hold on to or bargain something from the Turks. But in all cases, the oil produced inside Syria will not be enough under the current status quo. There are no reserves - and soon there will be problems with fuel. Because Iran has stopped supplying its 60,000 barrels per day. They will have to import. Most likely, the new authorities will turn to Qatar for help. Perhaps, for now they will supply it free of charge - the treasury of the new Syria is empty and there is nothing to pay with. Exports have also collapsed during the years of sanctions, like everything else. So the mythical wealth of Syria in the form of oil is a fairy tale. Yes, this income is a profitable business for clans. But this is more a story about the redistribution by shadow players from the States, Damascus, Iraq, Turkey, "Syrian Kurdistan", etc. Syria does not yet have any export potential in terms of oil. I read that Western companies will come and invest - but so far it is a theory. As well as statements about the Qatar pipeline. But oil will be needed now. S. Shilov Posted by: badanov 2024-12-15 |
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