Syria restores Raqqa oil field in former ISIS stronghold: What to know
Before Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, national oil production stood at between 400,000 and 500,00 barrels per day before falling to under 100,000 bpd during the conflict.
Syria is restoring the Al-Thawra oil field in Raqqa, once the Islamic State's (ISIS) stronghold, in a major step toward economic recovery after 13 years of civil war.
Syrian Energy Ministry teams are rehabilitating the field to rebuild production capacity after years of damage to infrastructure and facilities, the official news agency, SANA, reported Tuesday.
Officials at the field said technical teams are repairing wells, pumping stations, storage tanks and processing facilities that sustained extensive damage during years of war and disruption, SANA reported. Work also includes rebuilding infrastructure, reactivating damaged wells, and restoring oil transport and storage systems to gradually resume operations.
Current output stands at around 2,500 barrels per day, well below prewar levels of about 25,000 bpd. Officials attributed the decline to damaged infrastructure, equipment shortages and other operational challenges.
