Oil production in Syria has plunged by 96 per cent since the start of the 2011 anti-government uprising, with most wells now in rebel-held areas, the oil minister said today.
Suleiman al-Abbas said Syria is currently producing a mere 14,000 barrels per day, down from its pre-war level of 3,85,000 bpd, state news agency SANA reported.
He blamed the plunge in production on "an increase in attacks by terrorists against oil facilities, Western sanctions and the decision by foreign oil firms to suspend operations" in Syria.
Most of Syria's oil wells are in the east and north of the country, in areas controlled by the rebels who the government describes as "terrorists".
The oil industry was the country's main earner of foreign currency before the conflict erupted in mid-March 2011.
A collapse in production has triggered petrol shortages across the country, bolstered black market sales and prompted the government to import almost all its oil needs, mostly from ally Iran.
