(WO) – INA and MOL Group have held discussions with Syrian Petroleum Company regarding the possible restart of INA’s suspended oil and gas operations in Syria.
The meetings, held in Budapest and Zagreb, focused on evaluating operational, technical, commercial and regulatory conditions required for reactivating INA’s Syrian concessions after more than a decade of inactivity.
Earlier this year, INA and SPC formed a joint technical team to assess the feasibility of restarting operations. During the latest meetings, the parties reviewed infrastructure conditions and field status since INA suspended activities in Syria in 2012.
“We are pleased with the progress we have made in our discussions with the Syrian side and are encouraged by the constructive spirit in which these talks are being conducted,” said INA Management Board President Zsuzsanna Ortutay. She added that regulatory, legal, commercial and operational issues still need to be resolved before any restart can proceed.
MOL Group Executive Vice President for Exploration & Production Zsombor Marton said Syria was previously a significant part of the company’s international upstream portfolio.
“By 2011, our oil and gas production in INA’s Syrian concessions had reached 37,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day,” Marton said. He added that INA invested approximately $1.1 billion in Syria before operations were suspended.
The discussions also included a visit by the Syrian delegation to Croatia’s LNG terminal on Krk island, highlighting broader regional energy supply and infrastructure considerations.
The joint technical team is expected to continue evaluating safety and operational requirements while developing a roadmap for potential future cooperation.
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