Syria accuses the US of stealing country’s oil

The Syrian Oil Ministry on Tuesday accused the US forces in Syria of stealing the country’s oil, as the Syrian government steps up efforts to work closer with SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) in oil trade from north of the country, according to The Cradle.

“The amount of oil production during the first half of 2022 amounted to some 14.5 million barrels, with an average daily production of 80.3 thousand barrels, of which 14.2 thousand are delivered daily to refineries,” a statement released on 9 August from the oil ministry said.

“US occupation forces and their mercenaries steal up to 66,000 barrels every single day from the fields occupied in the eastern region,” amounting to around 83 percent of Syria’s daily oil production.” the ministry said.

According to the ministry’s data, the Syrian oil sector has incurred losses nearing “about 105 billion dollars since the beginning of the war until the middle of this year” as a result of the “US oil theft campaign.”

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), after battling ISIS (Islamic State) and gaining control of the oil rich northern region of the country, struck a deal in 2020 with the American company Delta Crescent Energy with the support of the American government to modernize the oil fields and increase production, thus reaching a financial independence. 

Meanwhile, the Syrian regime last month signed a deal with The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to increase oil convoys coming from the region, the Syrian Observer reported, quoting local al-Khabour website.

The planned increase will be at the rate of 160 tanks per week, reaching up to 200 tanks in the future, which will be transported by the Katerji Company, the website said. 

The website quoted unnamed sources as saying that the new understanding to increase convoys, brokered by Russia, led to the regime strengthening its forces in northern Syria in areas controlled by SDF forces to prevent Turkey from carrying out a military operation in northern Syria.