Agreement Reached
Syria and United States-based HKN Energy confirmed an agreement on 5 August 2026 to jointly redevelop the Rmeilan oil complex in the country's northeast, one of the largest oil-producing areas under state authority.
The terms were set out at a joint press conference by the head of the Syrian Petroleum Company, Yousuf Qablawi, and HKN Energy's chief executive, Mark Rollins, who presented a plan to rehabilitate the fields and raise output over the next two years.
Revenue Split
Under the agreement, Syria retains 70 percent of the revenue generated from the fields, while HKN Energy takes the remaining 30 percent. Officials underscored that the state keeps the majority stake in the production that follows.
Production Targets
The two parties set a target of 250,000 barrels a day by the end of 2027. Before 2011, the complex produced between 180,000 and 200,000 barrels a day, accounting for roughly half of the country's total oil output at that time.
The Rmeilan complex holds more than 1,300 wells, many of which require repair after years of reduced operation and neglect.
Rebuilding and Jobs
The plan provides for rehabilitating field infrastructure and introducing modern extraction technology. It also requires that local expertise and personnel be employed in the project's operations, tying the work to the regional labor market.
Economic Weight
Oil has long been a central source of state revenue and hard currency. Directing the majority of renewed production income to the government would strengthen public finances as the authorities move to bring key resources back under central control.
Reaching the 250,000-barrel target would return output to levels last seen before 2011, marking one of the more concrete steps yet toward reviving the energy sector.