US maintains Syrian oilfield presence

The US government has reiterated its commitment to defeating so-called Islamic State in Syria and says it is merely protecting the country’s oil from falling into the ‘wrong’ hands

US oil firm Delta Crescent Energy (DCE) announced in August last year that it had secured a contract from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Rojava) for the modernisation and development of oilfields. With sanctions imposed on Syria by western governments remaining in place, the move required approval for a waiver from the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), which administers Washington’s sanctions lists, leading to speculation around state involvement. The Pentagon sought in mid-February to dispel reports that the US military was providing cover for DCE to work on oilfields following criticism of US expropriation of Syrian oil under a contrac