Türkiye and Syria Announce Oil, Gas, and 800 MW Electricity Cooperation

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 20, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar held a joint press conference in Damascus with his Syrian counterpart Mohammed al-Bashir, announcing that Türkiye is prepared to carry out upstream oil and gas activities in Syria, with implementation to be undertaken by both the state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and private enterprises. Bayraktar stated that these companies would begin work "immediately."

The scope of cooperation discussed between the two sides covers exploration, seismic surveys, and offshore and onshore drilling, with plans to triple the electricity transmission capacity between the two countries to over 800 MW. The related joint infrastructure projects are expected to be commissioned within the coming weeks.

Türkiye's state-owned mining company MTA IC and Syria's General Directorate of Geology and Mineral Resources signed a memorandum of understanding on phosphate, laying the groundwork for future joint ventures between the two countries.

Syria's oil production, which exceeded 300,000 barrels per day before thirteen years of civil war and Western sanctions destroyed its production capacity, has seen a slight recovery since 2024 but is currently estimated at only 75,000 barrels per day. The country holds proven reserves of over 2.5 billion barrels of oil and 240 billion cubic meters (8.5 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas, yet has been a net energy importer over the past decade.

For Syria, bringing in external expertise, capital, and production capacity is a natural step toward reconstruction and development. Türkiye is not the only party interested in Syria's energy sector. In June of this year, Syria signed agreements with ConocoPhillips and Novaterra to develop new and existing natural gas fields, targeting an increase in gas production to 4–5 million cubic meters per day within one year.

For Türkiye, this move represents a further expansion of its regional energy footprint. Türkiye operates a fleet of deep-water drilling vessels, already active in the Black Sea and off the coast of Somalia, and has recently obtained exploration licenses for offshore resources in Libya.