Plan Underway to Rehabilitate Al-Thawra Oil Field in Raqqa After Output Falls to 10% of Capacity

Welat TV – Erbil

The Syrian Petroleum Company has begun maintenance and rehabilitation work at the Al-Thawra Oil Field in the countryside of Raqqa Governorate, with the aim of gradually restoring operations and increasing production efficiency, which currently stands at around 2,500 barrels per day — nearly 10% of its former capacity.

Mohammad Ali, head of the field department, told the Syrian Arab News Agency on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, that the field sustained extensive damage over recent years, affecting wells, oil facilities, pumping stations, and storage tanks.

He explained that only a limited number of oil and gas wells remain operational, while technical teams are carrying out gradual maintenance and rehabilitation work on the remaining wells within the available capabilities.

Technical and Logistical Challenges

Ali noted that limited resources and equipment remain among the biggest challenges facing the rehabilitation efforts, explaining that transporting drilling rigs and repairing wells requires significant time and effort due to shortages in the necessary technical equipment.

For his part, Khaled Al-Uqla, head of the technical division at the field, stated that the electrical conversion station supplying the oil wells had been subjected to sabotage and looting since 2013, leading to the shutdown of several connected stations. He added that restoring the station requires equipment and technical materials that are currently unavailable.

Production Decline Compared to Previous Capacity

The Al-Thawra Oil Field, also known as the “Tabqa Oil Field,” is considered one of the major oil fields in northern Raqqa Governorate. Before 2011, it produced approximately 25,000 barrels per day, while current production does not exceed 2,500 barrels daily. The field had fallen under the control of the Islamic State between 2014 and 2017 before returning to Syrian government control in late 2017.

Broader Decline in Syria’s Oil and Gas Sector

Syria’s oil and gas sector has suffered extensive damage throughout the years of conflict, particularly to infrastructure and oil fields, resulting in a sharp decline in production. Oil production has dropped from around 350,000 barrels per day before 2011 to approximately 120,000 barrels currently, while gas production declined from 30 million cubic meters per day to nearly 10 million cubic meters.