ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The UAE-based Dana Gas and Syria signed an agreement on Wednesday to redevelop and expand natural gas fields, as the country seeks to revive its energy sector decimated in the 13-year civil war. 

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) “to explore the potential for the redevelopment and expansion of several natural gas fields across central Syria,” was announced by Dana Gas on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and signed with the state-owned Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC).

It includes the Abu Rabah natural gas fields in Homs province, “one of the largest gas discoveries in Syria,” with Dana Gas being the first developer to sign such a deal in Syria under the new administration. 

During the reign of ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad, Syria became heavily reliant on gas imports from then-top ally Iran. 

“Dana Gas will conduct a comprehensive technical assessment of the identified fields and propose a development plan aimed at significantly increasing total gas production,” the Sharjah-based company said, adding that the deal hinges on a successful evaluation and if “both parties reach a final agreement.” 

Dana Gas CEO Richard Hall lauded the agreement as “an important first step” to evaluating Syria’s gas infrastructure and unlocking its potential, noting that the company’s experience in the Kurdistan Region will be “directly transferable” to the project’s application. 

The KM250 expansion project, in the Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimani province, was carried out at a cost of $1.1 billion and completed ahead of schedule. The project boosted the Khor Mor gas field’s capacity by 50 percent.

“The fields identified under this MoU could make a real difference to domestic gas production, strengthening Syria’s energy security and supporting local communities,” Hall asserted.  

Dana Gas also has exploration projects in Egypt and the UAE.