Deir Ezzor – Obadah al-Sheikh

Residents of rural Deir Ezzor (eastern Syria) live a daily struggle with the “primitive oil refineries” that have been spewing toxic fumes for years.

Since oil wells slipped out of the control of the former Syrian regime in 2012, chaotic refining practices have spread across the region, turning into a mounting environmental and health catastrophe that threatens thousands of civilians with toxic illnesses, leaving the area in a state of permanent environmental and humanitarian emergency.

Locals in western Deir Ezzor countryside told Enab Baladi that these makeshift refineries, used to process crude oil, emit thick smoke that fills the air and reaches residential homes.

Several residents confirmed that the toxic fumes have caused serious diseases, including cancers, hepatitis, and respiratory infections. Children and the elderly, in particular, suffer from shortness of breath and chronic coughs.

Amid these conditions, locals are searching for ways to reduce or regulate the operation of these refineries to limit their risks.

In a context of severe economic hardship and fuel shortages, these “refineries” continue to spread without any engineering or environmental standards, relying on burning crude oil in rudimentary pits and tanks.

Each refinery consists of a cylindrical metal tank resembling a barrel, varying in size but with the smallest capable of processing 50 barrels of oil, according to a previous statement by refinery worker Mohammed al-Sheikh.

The process uses oil residues known as “lime” and may be directly linked to nearby oil wells. Each refinery is typically accompanied by a water pit holding around 100 barrels, used to cool the refined product before separating it into storage tanks.

Out of Oversight

Amer al-Saeed, a resident of al-Saoua village in western Deir Ezzor countryside, said the lack of preventive measures and filtration systems has turned these refineries into “time bombs” emitting dangerous petrochemical substances into the air.

He added that the greatest danger lies in the health impact, which has gone beyond mere “annoyance” from the smell to becoming a direct cause of chronic and life-threatening illnesses.

Samar al-Zahid, a nurse at a hospital in rural Deir Ezzor, told Enab Baladi that there has been a sharp rise in cases of shortness of breath, chronic coughing, and acute respiratory infections, especially among children and the elderly, due to constant exposure to the emitted gases that attack the lungs and weaken the body’s immunity.

According to testimonies from residents, new cases of cancer and hepatitis have been recorded, with many attributing the increase to prolonged exposure to carcinogenic compounds released by the refineries.

Dr. Jamal al-Kheil noted that the illnesses are not confined to the areas immediately surrounding the refineries; the polluted air travels with the wind to neighboring villages, further burdening already fragile health facilities.

Impact on Agriculture

Agricultural engineer Moamen al-Assaf explained that the refineries also cause severe damage to farmland, threatening livelihoods in an area dependent on agriculture and water resources. He added that agricultural productivity has declined in recent years across all crop types.

Oil Production in Eastern Syria

The Autonomous Administration, the governing wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), produces roughly 150,000 barrels of oil per day, according to statements made by Hasan Kojer, co-vice president of the Executive Council of the Administration, to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in August 2023.

Kojer said at the time that the Administration operates less than half of the wells and fields under its control.

Most of Syria’s oil reserves are located in areas controlled by the SDF in the country’s northeast.

According to previous estimates provided to Enab Baladi by research assistant Munaf Qouman of the Omran Center for Strategic Studies, based on data collected for a study on the Autonomous Administration’s economy, oil wells in Deir Ezzor province alone produce about 48,500 barrels per day out of a total daily output ranging between 80,000 and 120,000 barrels.

The SDF distributes part of this output to local refineries for domestic consumption, the smallest portion of overall production, while another part is exported to Iraq’s Kurdistan Region for sale, and some is sold in areas that were under opposition control (before the regime’s fall) in northwestern Syria.