Enab Baladi – Mahmoud al-Abdullah

Syria relies heavily on local oil and natural gas production to operate a significant portion of its power stations. After more than a decade-long conflict, the Damascus government is trying to reactivate the power stations again, but it faces numerous challenges, along with technical and logistical issues.

According to researchers, the main challenges facing Damascus in increasing energy production include the decline in local oil output and its derivatives, the deterioration of technical equipment, and damage to most energy sources in the country due to various combat actions and clashes.

In an attempt to increase electricity generation, the Ministry of Oil and Mineral Resources announced on February 20 that it has opened the gas well “Tiyas 5” belonging to the Syrian Oil Company in western Homs, which has a production capacity of 130 thousand cubic meters of gas per day, according to the Syrian news agency (SANA).

It noted that connecting the well to the national gas network would support electricity generation stations, contributing to meeting citizens’ energy needs.

In this context, the public relations official at the Ministry of Oil, Ahmad Suleiman, mentioned on February 22 that the extraction of oil and natural gas has resumed from northeastern Syria, stating that some of these quantities are being used in power generation stations.

For his part, Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources, Ghiath Diab, on February 26, called for companies that previously operated in the oil sector to return to Syria and contribute to the development of this vital sector.

He indicated that investments from companies would play an important role in achieving development and revitalizing the oil and gas sector.

Not enough

Economic researcher Adham Qudaimati told Enab Baladi that starting gas extraction operations in Syria could reduce electricity cutbacks, but it is not enough to cover the large needs of the country, as Syria’s gas requirements exceed current production, and this depends on the time frame for shipments to arrive from abroad.

He added that most wells suffer from low production capacity due to their age, along with worn-out equipment due to the lack of imported advanced machinery as a result of the sanctions imposed on Syria.

Qudaimati believes that lifting the sanctions would open the door for some organizations to support the electricity sector and might allow Syria to obtain funding from the friends of the Syrian people to bring in modern equipment, reoperate the stations, and connect them to supply chains in the provinces.

He continued that the damages resulting from the conflict have led to a decrease in production capacity and increased losses in transportation and distribution.

Destroyed infrastructure

According to a research report conducted by Syrian researchers as part of the “Wartime and Post-Conflict in Syria” project, power generation stations have been directly bombed, parts of the transmission network and towers have been destroyed, and gas pipelines feeding electric generators have been targeted.

Three main power generation stations have been destroyed at different times, including the Aleppo Thermal Station, the Zayzoun Station in Idlib, and the al-Taim Station in Deir Ezzor.

The total nominal capacity of these stations was approximately 1706 megawatts before the conflict, accounting for about 18.25% of the total national production, according to the study.

In contrast, eight stations remained operational out of 11 stations that run on fossil fuels.

On the other hand, the three hydropower dams on the Euphrates River continued to operate partially despite irregular maintenance and neglect.

In 2019, the General Electricity Generation Company announced that 165 towers out of its total of 345 had been destroyed, damaged, or stolen.

The damage to the high-tension lines of 400 and 230 kilovolts has created isolated circuits, separating larger power stations from the network and urban areas from generators in rural areas, as stated in the report.

Obstacles to gas extraction

Researcher Qudaimati said that despite the suspension of some American and European sanctions, Syria needs time to reassess the condition of wells and the necessary equipment to increase local production, and drilling new wells requires validated geological studies.

He pointed out that entering the investment phase and the possibility of signing contracts with foreign companies presents another challenge for Damascus, as it relates to the duration of sanctions—whether they are permanent or temporary.

He also noted the absence of suitable and amended regulations and laws for companies to enter Syria, along with the lack of infrastructure that allows these companies to invest in the country.

According to the Jusoor For Studies Center, Syria faces numerous challenges in achieving optimal investment in the oil and gas sector, noting the increasing need for this vital sector now more than ever.

Among the most prominent challenges is the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) over most oil fields and oil facilities, as well as about one-third of gas wells.

The SDF halted oil and gas supplies after the fall of the Assad regime, which were previously sent to the former regime under an agreement between the two parties in 2012, before resuming operations again a few days ago following a comprehensive review of the contract by Damascus.

The shortage of human resources and technical staff is another challenge facing the Damascus government, along with the continued international sanctions, weak security stability, and physical damage to infrastructure and facilities.

The Assad regime estimated the damages resulting from sabotage and theft of facilities in the oil and gas sector at about $3.2 billion by the end of 2022, and the damages caused by “International Coalition air strikes on facilities” at around $2.9 billion, according to what SANA reported.

Reliance on gas

Syria’s reliance on gas for electricity generation has increased since the early 2000s, according to a research report issued by the “Wartime and Post-Conflict in Syria” project.

The report published by the European University Institute (EUI) attributed the reliance on gas to the decline in domestic oil production, the use of combined cycle plants for electricity generation, improved access to natural gas, and Syria’s export of its oil production against its complete consumption of local gas production.

The shift to gas began in 2008 alongside the development of its fields, and gas production reached 10,830 million cubic meters in 2010, compared to 6,240 million cubic meters in 2008.

With the import of gas from Egypt via the Arab Gas Pipeline, the pace of power station development accelerated, which increased their share of electricity generation by 13% from 2008 to 2011.

Syria’s natural gas reserve is estimated at approximately 240 billion cubic meters, with associated gas accounting for 60%, according to Jusoor Center.

Gas is produced from about 28 gas or oil fields, including 19 in Homs governorate, 5 in Deir Ezzor, 2 in Raqqa, and 2 in Hama.

Daily gas production has decreased from 30 million cubic meters in 2010 to 9.1 million cubic meters by early 2025.

Production distribution includes 8 million cubic meters from fields and wells controlled by the new Syrian administration in Damascus and 1.1 million cubic meters from fields and wells controlled by the SDF.