Page 18 - DMEA Week 03 2021

DMEA FUELS DMEA

Syria to import fuel as

shortages continue

SYRIA SYRIA this week said that it would resort to north-east of the country that are now under
importing more crude oil as US sanctions on the control of the US-backed Syrian Democratic
Many of Syria’s oilfields Iran continue to cause supply issues. Force (SDF).
are under the control of Speaking to Parliament, Prime Minister Hus- The SDF brought the Tanak oilfield back on
the US-backed Syrian sein Arnous did not indicate the planned source stream in August 2018, roughly a year after it and
Democratic Force. of extra supplies, but he noted that 1.2mn tonnes the US-backed YPG took the control of the asset
(8.8mn barrels) had been imported since mid- from IS fighters.
2020, adding that the imported crude plus other Tanak, Syria’s second-largest oilfield, is
petroleum products had cost around $820mn. located east of the River Euphrates, near Omar,
“We have become dependent on imported oil which is the country’s top oil asset. Tanak’s 150
and we have used up foreign currency in large existing wells are thought to be capable of 40,000
amounts to pay for petroleum products,” he said. bpd of production, but information about the
Syria is home to proven reserves of 2.5bn bar- asset’s condition has not been forthcoming
rels of oil and 241bn cubic metres of gas, with since the SDF retook the field in November
Arnous estimating current output running at 2017. Local media outlet Zaman Al Wasl quoted
just 20,000 barrels per day (bpd). Before civil sources at the time as saying that the oil from
war broke out in 2011 production was around Tanak was being supplied to the Syrian regime.
400,000 bpd. Numbers for gas are less clear, but The SDF has held control over the country’s
the most recent verified data, from 2015, showed largest oilfields, including Omar, the largest,
output of 7.73mn cubic metres per day of dry Ward, Kewari, Jafra, Jarnuf, Azrak, Kahar, Afra,
natural gas, and more recent estimates are just Sueytat and Galban. Omar had been producing
3.4 mcm per day. around 30,000 bpd prior to the Syrian Civil War,
The prime minister noted that around but was in the hands of IS from mid-2011 until
400,000 bpd had been lost from fields in the October 2017. ™

Botswana downplays risk of fuel shortages

BOTSWANA MMETIA Masire, the permanent secretary local fuel market to monitor supply conditions.
of Botswana’s Ministry of Mineral Resources, The government is ready to take measures to
The government is Green Technology and Energy Security, said address shortages, including withdrawals from
urging consumers to last week that he did not expect developments in strategic petroleum product stocks, he declared.
avoid hoarding and South Africa’s downstream sector to lead to fuel He cautioned, though, that inventory draws
panic buying. shortages in his own country. would only be considered if supply shortfalls
In a ministry press release, Masire noted became serious.
that two of South Africa’s four oil refineries had In the meantime, he said, the government is
halted production within the last year because of urging consumers to avoid hoarding and panic
accidents. These shutdowns have had an effect buying.
on the volume of South African petroleum prod- Masire was speaking not long after Citac, a
ucts delivered to Botswana, he acknowledged. UK-based consultancy that monitors Africa’s
He also stressed, though, that Botswana Oil Ltd downstream sector, said it did not expect to
(BOL), the national oil company (NOC), was see the idle South African refineries return to
working to make up for this shift by importing full capacity until 2022. These two plants, Citac
more fuel from Namibia and Mozambique. noted, account for 43% of the country’s total
This strategy appears to be effective, the refining capacity of about 500,000 bpd. It was
permanent secretary said. “South Africa has referring to the 120,000 barrel per day (bpd) bpd
reduced its ration of fuel supply to the southern facility owned by Engen Holdings, an affiliate of
African countries by almost 40% due to the clo- Malaysia’s Petronas, in Durban and the 100,000
sure of some its refineries,” he was quoted as say- bpd refinery in Cape Town owned by Astron
ing in the press release. “Nevertheless, currently Energy, a unit of the Anglo-Swiss commodities
all our filling stations throughout the country trading firm Glencore.
still [have] sufficient fuel supply.” Botswana has traditionally been dependent
He further stated that his ministry was work- on South Africa for most of its petroleum prod-
ing closely with BOL and other players in the uct supplies. ™

P18 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 03 21•January•2021