The Minister of Energy provided clear, direct answers to the People's Assembly, grounding his statements in figures and facts without hesitation or stammering; Mohamed al-Bashir did not limit himself to generalities or brief responses.
His detailed explanations—covering production, consumption, and costs—demonstrated a commitment to full transparency with the public regarding the reality of the energy situation in Syria.
According to al-Bashir, Syria requires approximately 300,000 barrels of crude oil daily. Demand may drop to between 270,000 and 280,000 barrels in the spring, while rising to between 325,000 and 350,000 barrels in the winter.
In contrast, Syria produces about 140,000 barrels per day—a figure subject to fluctuation based on circumstances. For instance, the Minister noted that road blockages during recent protests disrupted the transport of crude oil tankers, causing production to fall to 98,000 barrels per day.
He explained that one factor driving the increased demand for fuel was the shutdown of rudimentary refining units. These units had previously processed crude oil from the region east of the Euphrates, supplying between 5 and 10 percent of the market, but were closed due to their severe environmental and public health impacts.
This is compounded by growth in the industrial sector; the number of factories in the Aleppo Industrial City rose from 900 to 1,500. Additionally, the number of registered vehicles in the country increased from 2.5 million in 2025 to 3.6 million today—an estimated rise of 1.1 million vehicles in less than a year. The Minister stated that the cost of a liter of diesel to the Syrian state is 206 Syrian pounds, whereas it is sold on the market for 175 pounds.
Daily consumption stands at approximately 12 million liters of diesel and 8 million liters of gasoline, in addition to an average consumption of 8,500 tons of fuel oil for power plants and industrial facilities, and about 1,300 tons of household gas—which differs from the gas used for electricity generation.
Zaman Al-Wasl
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