Syrian Democratic Forces Begin supplying Oil to the New Syrian Government

Ahmed Suleiman, the official spokesperson for the Syrian Ministry of Oil and Mineral Resources, stated in an interview with Reuters that the Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria have formally agreed to and have already begun supplying oil to the newly established Syrian government, which is currently led by the former rebel faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its leader Abu Muhammad Al-Jolani.

According to the spokesman, this marks the first publicly acknowledged oil transfer between the Syrian government and Kurdish authorities. The transfer relies on a former mechanism used between the Kurdish authorities and the ousted Assad government, including arrangements regarding the oil fields from the provinces of Al-Hasakah and Deir Ezzor. The quantities delivered will amount to 5000 barrels a day of crude oil.

During the Syrian Civil War, the majority of the country’s oil fields came under the control of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), providing them with substantial economic and political leverage in their ongoing negotiations with the Syrian government. However, heavy sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union have severely restricted both the Kurdish authorities and the Syrian government from fully profiting from the nation’s oil industry.

Despite these challenges, recent diplomatic initiatives undertaken by the Syrian government to improve relations with the West appear to be making progress. In January, the United States issued a six-month sanctions exemption, permitting certain energy transactions. Meanwhile, the European Union is preparing to suspend its sanctions related to energy, transportation, and reconstruction, signalling a potential shift in Western policy toward Syria.