Power Shift: Can Syria's Oil Fields Reshape Its Energy Future?

Feb 11, 2026 | Cian Ward
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Following the government’s takeover of much of northeast Syria from the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in recent weeks, Syria’s vast oil fields now have new owners.

On 18 January, the state-owned Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC) announced that it had regained control of several oil fields, including al-Omar, Syria’s largest.As part of Damascus’ deal with the SDF, the armed group will integrate into the Syrian military, and those oil fields, still under SDF control, will be correspondingly handed over to the SPC.With the last 70% of Syria’s ample oil reserves, estimated at 1.3 billion barrels, now back in the hands of the Syrian government, Damascus faces a number of opportunities and challenges that could reshape the country’s road to recovery.