The international coalition sent a strongly worded message to the SDF leadership that the need to ban and stop dealing in the oil sector between the SDF and the Assad regime and its allies, based on the sanctions package imposed on the Assad regime by the United States that chairs the international coalition. According to Resolution 13894 known as the “Caesar”, which is included in its clauses, it will cease dealing with all companies that have links with the Assad regime and enforce the ban on Syrian oil and gas.
Although a number of SDF leaders recently announced through statements to the media that they had cut off dealing permanently with the Assad regime, but new information obtained by Euphrates Post confirms the continuation of oil smuggling to the areas of the system through the Qatirji company, owned by one of the Assad regime’s men and his economic arms Hossam Al-Qatirji.
The following is a video clip taken by the Furat Post reporter for a number of trucks transporting oil from the SDF regions to the Assad regime’s areas, yesterday, June 21, 2020.
It is noteworthy that the areas controlled by the SDF are exempt from economic sanctions according to Caesar’s decision, and the US administration announced earlier that humanitarian aid continues to enter these areas through the joint border crossings with neighboring countries,
At the same time, the decision prohibits dealing with any entity, company, or individuals affiliated with the Assad regime, under the risk that the decision includes those who deal, in the context of cutting the outlet of the Assad economic system, and this appears to be not a priority for the SDF.
It is noteworthy that the SDF controls more than five major fields of Syrian oil and gas (Al-Omar – Koniko – Al-Tanak – Al-Jbessah – Rumailan) and more than 4000 small oil and gas wells along the eastern region of Syria, with a daily production rate of 40,000 barrels of oil per day,
As for gas, the production rate has decreased since 2011, during which it reached 30.2 million cubic meters of natural gas. The profits of the SDF “monthly” from oil production alone are estimated between 70 – 75 million dollars per month.