Syria is preparing to grant oil and gas exploration licenses to a group of major energy companies, the head of the country's state oil company said, signaling renewed activity around the nation's hydrocarbon potential.
Youssef Qablawi, chief executive of the Syrian Petroleum Company, told the Financial Times that the country has only explored a limited share of its possible resource base. "Maybe more than a quarter, or less than a third, has been explored," he said, characterizing the majority of the country's acreage as untouched by modern exploration campaigns.
Qablawi also emphasized the scale of the potential resources, saying "There are trillions of cubic meters of gas." He framed that estimate in the context of large swathes of land that have not yet been surveyed for hydrocarbons.
Recent commercial activity includes a deal signed last week between Chevron and Qatar's Power International Holding to explore an offshore block. According to Qablawi, that partnership is expected to begin operations "within two months."
Discussions are advancing on additional blocks. A second block is reportedly under consideration with QatarEnergy and TotalEnergies involved in plans, and ConocoPhillips may join as an investor. Qablawi noted that ConocoPhillips signed a memorandum of understanding last year in relation to Syrian exploration, indicating prior engagement between the firms.
On a third exploration area, Qablawi said simply, "I am working with Eni," indicating further negotiations or cooperation with the Italian energy company.
The comments from the Syrian Petroleum Company chief outline a phased approach to opening multiple exploration blocks to international participants. While the precise terms, acreage sizes and timelines for each block beyond the Chevron-Power International Holding arrangement were not detailed, the remarks convey that talks with several international energy firms are active.
As these processes proceed, the government's plan to allocate exploration licenses to established global energy companies could shape future exploration activity in Syria. The outcome and scope of these arrangements will depend on the progressing agreements and the capacity of the involved parties to commence work under the stated timelines and conditions.