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Donald Trump dreams of seizing Syrian oil

Last Sunday after announcing the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of the Islamic State group, during a raid on the US military in Syria, Donald Trump said he plans to entrust ExxonMobil or one of the biggest American companies exploiting Syrian oil. A project deemed totally unrealistic by the experts.

Was oil the argument of Donald Trump's advisers to put the pill on a military hold in Syria? That's what an official source told Washington Pos t. But the presidential entourage probably did not expect Donald Trump to announce publicly: " What I'm thinking of is an alliance with ExxonMobil or one of our big companies to set up there. . "

Violation of international law

The project of the US president is illegal, according to experts. " It's surreal ," says Jean-Pierre Favennec, professor at IFP School. The oil wells of Deir Ezzor are in Syrian territory, therefore, whatever the opinion of Bashar al-Assad, the agreement of the Syrian authorities. "

" We do not give blocks that already belong to other companies, adds Philippe Sébille-Lopez, Geopolia cabinet. Shell, Total, and smaller US companies, like Marathon Oil and Gulf Oil, have contracts that are still active on paper in Syria, even though they are no longer producing. It would be a violation of international law on which the United States is very much on horseback . Exxon, in fact, obtained from Venezuela nearly a billion dollars in compensation for expropriation.

Little interest from ExxonMobil

Nor is it sure that the Syrian deposits are of interest to American "majors". ExxonMobil did not react. " In what state are the oil fields, what investments are needed? We are in the dark, "says Jean-Pierre Favennec. The production, barely 50,000 barrels a day reached 500,000 barrels a day before the war but two-thirds were destined for the country's big refinery. " Not interesting for a company like ExxonMobil which, moreover , underlines Philippe Sébille-Lopez, refocuses on American shale oil ".

The Pentagon aims primarily at the IS

The Pentagon has a more realistic view of the control of Syrian oil. The US military wants to assign 500 soldiers to monitor the oil fields. The main purpose is " to prevent the (group) Islamic State from regaining control of certain deposits, (to prevent it) from increasing its revenues, (as in the past), and thus, its ability to nuisance. This objective is precise and quite realistic, "says Francis Perrin, Director of Research at IRIS.

" The control of the deposits may also be the subject of negotiations with Bashar al-Assad, imagine Philippe Sébille-Lopez , but it will not be to give them to Exxon! "

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