Which oil fields will be transferred from the SDF to the Syrian state?

Oil and gas fields were a key clause in the agreement signed by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, last Monday, which stipulates the integration of all civilian and military institutions affiliated with the Kurdish Autonomous Administration into the Syrian state.

The Syrian presidency published a statement signed by al-Sharaa and Abdi, stating that it was agreed to "integrate all civilian and military institutions in northeastern Syria into the administration of the Syrian state, including border crossings, the airport, and oil and gas fields." Which fields were controlled by the SDF? What is their production volume?

The SDF controls Syria's most prominent oil fields, including al-Omar, the largest in the country, and al-Tanak and Jafra in Deir ez-Zor, as well as smaller fields in Hasakah and Raqqa. The SDF also controls the Conoco gas fields in Deir ez-Zor and al-Suwaydiyah in Hasakah.

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper reported that according to a document issued by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), regarding the geographical distribution of wells and production in the pre-revolutionary period and currently, the fields in Deir ez-Zor governorate once produced approximately 130,000 barrels per day, which constituted a third of Syria's oil production at the time.

While production in the fields located in the governorate under SDF control is estimated at approximately 15,000 barrels per day, production in the fields under regime control in the same governorate is estimated at approximately 7,000 barrels per day.

The most important of these fields is the Al-Omar oil field, located 10 kilometers east of the city of Al-Mayadeen. It is considered one of the largest oil fields in Syria, with production reaching approximately 80,000 barrels per day in the 1990s. Currently, production is estimated at approximately 20,000 barrels per day and is under SDF control.

Next is the Koniko field, located east of Deir ez-Zor city and controlled by the SDF. It was previously used to produce natural gas at a rate of 13 million cubic meters per day, but production has now ceased.

The Al-Jafra field, also located east of Deir ez-Zor city, is a low-production field. Before the revolution, it produced about 2,000 barrels per day, and today, it produces about 1,000 barrels. It is under SDF control.

As for oil wells and production sites in Hasakah Governorate, the SDF document reveals that the Rmeilan fields, located in the far northeast of Syria, come first. They include approximately 1,322 oil wells and 25 gas wells in the neighboring Suwaydiyah fields. Their production used to be about 90,000 barrels per day, but their combined production has declined to about 9,000 barrels per day. Meanwhile, the Suwaydiyah gas plant produces 13,000 gas cylinders per day and 500,000 cubic meters of gas that feeds power plants.

Al-Hasakah Governorate also includes the Al-Jabsa fields, whose production previously amounted to about 2,500 barrels per day. Today, production has declined to about 2,000 barrels, along with the closed gas plant. According to the document, all fields in Hasakah Governorate are under SDF control.

Oil sites in Raqqa Governorate (north-central Syria) include the Al-Thawra oil field, located southwest of Raqqa Governorate, and the Al-Wahab, Al-Fahd, Dabisan, Al-Qusayr, Abu Al-Qattas, and Abu Qatash fields, southwest of Raqqa, near the town of Al-Rusafa. These wells had low production in the past, and their combined current production is estimated at approximately 2,000 barrels per day.

Syria's oil field production for 2021 was estimated at approximately 31.4 million barrels, with an average daily production of 85,900 barrels, of which 16,000 barrels reach refineries, according to data from the Syrian Ministry of Oil.