Syria's Energy Crisis: $831M Monthly Imports Needed to Meet Demand

Syria faces an immense challenge in covering its energy needs due to insufficient domestic production. According to Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir, the country requires approximately $831 million per month to finance imports of crude oil and petroleum products.

The gap between domestic demand and production has led to a major crisis, forcing Syria to use directly negotiated supply contracts amidst global market pressures. The minister stated that local oil production stands at around 112,000 barrels per day, leaving a daily shortfall of approximately 200,000 barrels.

Bashir added that the country's refining capacity is about 150,000 barrels per day and imports an average of 150,000 barrels of refined petroleum products daily. Furthermore, Syria also imports about 6.3 million cubic meters of gas per day from Azerbaijan and Aqaba, with a monthly cost of around $140 million.