US 'conquers' Syrian oil

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Only an eye accustomed to war knows how to distinguish between two columns of jet smoke standing in the middle of the Syrian Mesopotamian plain. One could be the result of a bombardment or even a burning of tires to obstruct the vision of the air force ready to unload their projectiles; the other, without a doubt, would belong to an improvised refinery: a large burning oil tank connected to a hole that collects the product, in a process that is lethal for the environment.

This is how Syria's black gold has been processed for much of the war . There is no group that has not taken over their deposits, meager compared to those in their neighboring countries. There is no group, too, that has not sold crude oil and gasoline even to the enemy, even if that meant oxygenating it in exchange for their tickets, with which to buy more weapons and ammunition. From Al Qaeda to the Kurdish militias, through the Islamic State, everyone has done business. And some official actors have benefited.

70% of Syria's oil wells, located in the Rmelan and al Omar fields in the east, are today in territory governed by the informal Kurdish autonomist administration . But a deployment of 500 American soldiers guard them. When Turkey last year convinced Donald Trump to allow him to fight Kurdish militias, the environment of the American President used decoy oil fields to convince him not to carry out a full withdrawal of troops.

"American soldiers are not in combat or cease-fire zones. We have secured Oil (sic). Bringing soldiers home!" An enthusiastic Trump tweeted last October, as chaos broke out in northern Syria. by the fighting between Kurdish and Arab forces, supported by Ankara, accused of war crimes. His words contained echoes of fifteen years ago, when large American firms parceled Iraq even before tanks entered the country.

Now, the newspaper Al Monitor reports that a US company, Delta Crescent Energy LLC , has taken a concession from the Kurdish authorities - not recognized by any country - "with the knowledge and encouragement of the White House . " His favor has been such that in order to sign the contract, which provides for the modernization of the extraction systems and the installation of two modular refineries, the North American administration has guaranteed for this purpose an exception to its sanctions against Syria.

Contrary to what it may seem, Syria's oil reserves, which also houses gas, pale in comparison to those of its neighbors. "Its reserves are very small. It is ranked 31 in the world ranking," says Tracy Shuchart, crude oil trader and energy market analyst. But, at the same time, they are the main source of wealth for Kurdish administrators.

Before the outbreak of the Syrian conflict, in 2011, 380,000 barrels per day were produced , more than enough for domestic consumption. However, production has dropped to around 60,000, artisan-refined and more expensive by the rules of war , forcing government areas to depend even on fuel exports from their ally Iran. "Most of the oil fields have been destroyed by insurgents and are now toxic dumps. Millions will be required to clean them up and put them back into operation," adds Shuchart.

Delta Crescent is not, however, unknown in Syria. The digital media 'The Iraq Oil Report' recalls that John Dorrier, one of its leaders, previously founded Gulfsands Petroleum , a company that did not manage one of the Iraqi plots but did manage, during the 2000s, to settle in eastern Syria. His partner was Rami Makhlouf himself , a cousin of Rais Bashar Asad and a tycoon disgraced by Syrian economic drift. In 2008, following the US sanctions on Makhlouf, Dorrier had to leave the company. Another of the winning bidder's partners is Jimm Reese, who has lavished himself defending the presence of US troops in Syria. "We own all of eastern Syria," he sentenced to Fox Network in 2018.

Damascus, which in 2018 granted Russia all exploitation rights to Syria's oil and gas, has strongly protested what it has branded as "theft . " "Syria considers the agreement null, void and without legal effect and warns against malicious acts, committed by patronage militias who have agreed to be a cheap puppet in the hands of the American occupiers," its Foreign Minister said in a statement.

Turkey, which considers the Kurdish militias "terrorist" because of their relationship with the PKK guerrilla, has accused Washington of "financing terrorism" . "We regret the US support for this step, which ignores international law and violates Syrian territorial integrity," criticizes Ankara, who controls parts of the north and west of the country, alleging the need to protect the civilian population and its own territory. One of the main issues of the contract, with which the Kurds will be able to refine the 20% of the crude they need , is where the rest will go if, it is understood, not even Turkey - which Russia once accused of buying oil from the State Islamic - nor the Syrian Government will access these resources.

One of the outlets that analysts anticipate is Iraqi Kurdistan, a region heavily influenced by the US and Turkey . "Most likely, it will be trucked to the Kirkuk - Ceyhan pipeline and sold as Kurdish oil - from Iraqi Kurdistan - to circumvent the sanctions," says Shuchart.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

• Syria
• Turkey
• Russia
• Islamic State
• Al Qaeda
• Donald Trump
• Iraq
• Iran
• Refugees
• Jihadism

JihadismAl Mawla, the "destroying" caliph that maintains the most brutal essences of the Islamic State

Conflict Russia and China veto the sending of humanitarian aid to northern Syria

JusticeA young British woman who joined the IS, authorized to return to London to contest the loss of nationality

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