Russia has accused Turkey and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, of colluding with the militant group Islamic State in an industrial-scale, illegal oil trade. But to what extent can Islamic State leaders operate the oil fields and get the product to market? It also took the Tanak, Jafra and Ward oil fields. Islamic State militants continue to engage in a war of attrition with pro-government forces to take the Shaer gas field and the Jazal oil field in desert areas of eastern Homs province. Oil and gas production, however, is nowhere near prewar levels. They are operated mostly by civilians unaffiliated with Islamic State. They take the crude directly from the wellhead, refine it and sell the inferior product on black markets. They are typically local people whose prior livelihoods were destroyed by the fighting. Much of the oil never reaches external markets and is used for domestic consumption in Islamic State-controlled territories or sold to other rebel factions and the Syrian government. However, there have been reports that some oil from Islamic State-held territory in Syria and Iraq has made its way to Jordan and Turkey. Coalition forces recently launched Operation Tidal Wave II, meant to ramp up attacks against oil fields and tankers — targets that had been off limits to avoid civilian casualties. The Pentagon said it had destroyed more than oil tankers in Islamic State areas in the last two weeks of November. Since Russia began bombing, Russian defense officials say, that number has been halved.
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Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Thursday that an unspecified number of American troops and materiel are being sent to defend oil fields in eastern Syria held by Kurdish forces. They were key U. From the Kurdish forces to the Syrian government, the oil fields are vital to actors within Syria, experts say. Targeting the oil fields helped the U. Late in the fighting, ISIS forces destroyed much of the oil infrastructure. But Kurdish forces have since been able to repair some of the damage, says Dareen Khalifa, the senior Syria analyst for International Crisis Group, another think tank. Revenue from the fields has helped support the Kurdish forces in the area, who use the money to pay fighters and civil servants. In a statement, the SDF called the U. Others say the move destabilized the region more broadly, in part by triggering a humanitarian crisis that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Some say the American pullout could result in the reemergence of ISIS, which has lost all of its territory in the region. But with the Kurdish forces now pivoting to defend themselves from Turkey, they have fewer resources with which to mind the prisons. If and when ISIS regroups, it may target the oil fields that proved so lucrative in the past. Ibrahim Al-Assil, a scholar at the non-partisan think tank The Middle East Institute, says ISIS lacks the military capability to retake the fields, but says it might have the strength to do so in the future.
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Why are Syria’s oil fields important?
Except there is no sign of IS getting reconstituted or rising from the ashes — and the Ie rightly regard any US attempt to seize the oil fields as theft and syriaan.
Pirate, thief, you realDonaldTrump Give Syria its oil back and release your economic sanctions on the women and children of Syria. Ironically, Trump has boasted recently about his administration making the US into a net pil of oil and gas, so it does not need the Syrian oil. The oil fields in question were traditionally used to meet domestic demands and are too small to be interesting to Washington in terms of profit, journalist and orientalist Andrey Ontikov told RT.
This phrasing is a dead giveaway that the oil gambit is not about IS, but about blocking the government in Damascus from using its own natural resources to rebuild. Already under a blockade by the US and its EU allies, Syria desperately needs the oil to help its people survive the winter. Critics of the purported plan point out that its illegal. So was the US presence in Syria, mind you — and their transit through Iraq as well, according to Baghdad, or the invasion, or… well a number of other msking, too long to get into.
Illegality has never stopped Washington, convinced as it is of American exceptionalism. Yes, the oil gambit would be a crime — but worse than that, it would be fieldw mistake. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT. This website uses cookies. Read RT Privacy policy to find out. Applications RSS. RT Shop. RT Question. Home Op-ed. Nebojsa Malic. Get short URL. Follow RT oill. Also on rt. Trends: Donald Trump news Oil news Syria news.
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The petroleum industry in Syria forms a major part of the economy of Syria. Syria is a relatively small oil producer, that accounted for just 0. Syria’s oil sector has been hit by the Civil War and international sanctions imposed on Syria. Total suspended operations in the country from December Syria is the only significant crude oil producing country oio the Eastern Mediterranean region, which includes JordanLebanonIsrael fiekds the Palestinian territories. InMakking produced 5. Although Syria produces relatively modest quantities of oil and gas, its location is strategic in terms of regional security and prospective trom transit routes. Syrian oil exploration first began in during the French Mandate by the Iraq Petroleum Company a consortium made up of ShellBPExxon-MobilTotaland Gulbekianwhich after unsuccessfully drilling eleven wells, gave up hope of finding any oil in Syria. InJames W. Menhallan independent oil producer from ,oney, United States, was approached by Syrian President Shukri al-Quwatli to come to Syria to prospect for oil. His James W. Menhall Drilling Company was awarded a concession on 17 May by unanimous vote of the Syrian parliament and started drilling in April The Syrian Civil War broke out in and is ongoing. Quality of Petroleum determined price of each barrel sold at the wellhead 25 to 45 dollars. Besides the Civil War and the imposition of international sanctions, Syria’s oil sector faces a number of challenges, including a decline in output and production resulting from technological problems and a depletion of oil reserves. Meanwhile, consumption mohey rising, which means that Syria could become a net oil importer within a decade. SPC has undertaken efforts to reverse the trend toward declining oil production and exports by increasing oil exploration and production in partnership with foreign oil companies. Foreign investment is vital for ool production levels; however, following the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, many countries important to Syria’s oil exports have imposed sanctions, which legally prevents Western companies from working in the country. Al-Furat Petroleum Company is a joint venture established in Total formed its Syrian operation in and in renewed its partnership sharing agreement with Syria.
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