Syria, US firm sign deal to upgrade oil fields in Hasakah's Jazira region

DAMASCUS, Syria — The Syrian Petroleum Company announced Tuesday that an agreement had been signed covering the transfer of all oil fields in the Jazira region of Hasakah to the Syrian government. The deal was disclosed at a joint press conference with US-based HKN Energy held at the Rumaylan field in Hasakah province. Under the agreement, maintenance and rehabilitation work on the fields has begun immediately and is expected to take between six months and a year. A company official said the project aims to improve infrastructure efficiency and increase output, with current production of more than 100,000 barrels per day set to rise in stages to 200,000 barrels and eventually exceed 250,000 barrels once development is complete. The arrangement also includes higher wages for field workers, the use of national staff and priority in employment and operations for local residents, the company said. Syrian Petroleum Company officials later met an HKN Energy delegation at the Hasakah fields directorate to discuss the strategic partnership, handover procedures for the project sites and working mechanisms. The Rumaylan fields had been under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces before being transferred to the government as part of an agreement signed between the parties on January 29.