Syria: Disintegration and little sign of recovery
The brutal civil war is dragging on. It is a disaster for Syria's people, economy and oil sector
Bashar al-Assad's chances of survival have been growing of late, helped by the routing of opposition forces in the strategic town of Qusayr in May. His regime seemed destined to fall a year ago. Now the president and his forces are gaining momentum. The recent ratcheting up of international pressure on Damascus, with the White House announcing that the US would provide direct assistance to the Syrian rebels, reflects a growing sense that the Baathist regime - cushioned by Russian and Iranian support and now the direct intervention of Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia - is now able to consolidate territory under its hold. In June, state forces were said to be preparing to take on rebels in the
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6 March 2026
The March 2026 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
6 March 2026
After Europe’s rapid buildout of floating LNG import capacity, Exmar CEO Carl-Antoine Saverys says future growth in floating gas infrastructure will increasingly be driven by developing markets as lower prices, rising energy demand and the need to replace coal unlock new opportunities for unconventional and tailor-made solutions
5 March 2026
Gas is a central pillar of Colombia’s energy system, but declining production poses a significant challenge, and LNG will be increasingly needed as a stopgap. A recent major offshore gas discovery offers hope, but policy improvements are also required, Camilo Morales, secretary general of Naturgas, the Colombian gas association, tells Petroleum Economist
4 March 2026
The continent’s inventories were already depleted before conflict erupted in the Middle East, causing prices to spike ahead of the crucial summer refilling season
