Government Discusses Mechanism to Protect Oil and Gas Facilities against Terrorism

DAMASCUS, (ST) – The Cabinet yesterday convened to discuss the situation of oil and gas production and the government’s procedures to protect oil facilities from the attacks of the foreign-backed armed terrorist groups.

During the session, which was chaired by Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi, Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources Suleiman Abbas stressed that terrorists’ attacks on the infrastructure, equipment and pipelines of the oil and gas sectors have disrupted refineries, reduced production and caused difficulties in meeting development, industrial, services and social needs for oil and its derivates, an affair that directly and negatively affected the national economy and the public interest.

The minister said oil derivatives convoys have been the target of armed attacks, pointing out that the measures taken by the ministry to protect the oil facilities haven’t achieved the hoped-for goal, an affair that necessitated reconsidering the current mechanism and adopting more effective protection measures.

The ministry proposed a protection mechanism in the light of which the cabinet agreed on signing contracts for protecting oil facilities, crud oil pipelines and oil derivatives convoys.  It also agreed on forming a ministerial committee to restudy the contracts forms in a way that guarantees the rights of the state. In parallel, the cabinet agreed on establishing a public government commission to protect oil facilities.               

 H.M