Last Monday, September 1st, the Syrian government exported its first shipment of 600,000 barrels of crude oil after a 14-year hiatus due to war and sanctions—even though most Syrian oil fields lie outside government-controlled areas, according to Reuters.
A Syrian Ministry of Energy official told the agency that the shipment was sold to the company “B Serve Energy” and transported via the oil tanker “Nissos Christiana.”
The company provides solutions for rural households to access cooking biogas, helping address energy challenges in various climates. (B)energy serves residential sectors in rural regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and is headquartered in Neuhausel, Germany.
Reuters reported that the oil was extracted from several fields, most of which are located in areas controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Export activity in Syria surged after U.S. President Donald Trump lifted sanctions on the country. However, most exports until now have consisted of phosphate and livestock—making this oil shipment a notable milestone.
Reuters added that American oil companies are considering contracts with the Syrian government to explore and extract oil.
Before the war, Syria produced around 380,000 barrels of oil per day, with most investments made through joint ventures between the Syrian Petroleum Company and foreign firms.
After 2011, most of these companies withdrew due to Western sanctions and security concerns. Syria then resorted to circumventing sanctions by importing Iranian and Russian oil, with both countries helping the Assad regime survive.
According to sources, Gulfsands Petroleum—a pre-war investor in Syrian oil fields—announced in February 2025 its intention to return to the Syrian oil market following the lifting of Western sanctions.
The company had confirmed back in 2018 that oil extraction continued in northeastern Syria despite the sanctions.
Below is a table of companies that were investing in Syria’s oil sector up to 2010 (before the war).
Syria news report
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