Syrian Petroleum Company rebukes AXP Energy claim amid new foreign gas deals

The Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC) publicly denied reports that AXP Energy has entered Syria’s oil and gas sector or signed any agreement with it, saying on June 16 that all contracts and partnerships are announced exclusively through its official channels and in line with legal and institutional rules. AXP Energy, by contrast, published a statement saying it had farmed into onshore Block 9 in the Palmyra Basin with up to a 25% stake under a production‑sharing contract, named Simpora Latakia Limited as an operational partner, and appointed Michael C. P. Rego as a non‑executive director to lead its Syrian activities. AXP said the program includes reprocessing seismic data and plans to drill two wells in late 2027, framing the move as part of a wider Middle East expansion enabled by 2025 investment‑law changes; the company also highlighted its existing operations in Colorado and Oklahoma.

Separately, SPC signed a contract with ConocoPhillips and Novaterra to develop several gas fields and increase production to support electricity and other vital sectors, a deal SANA said followed prior memoranda and technical, legal and commercial negotiations. Enab Baladi has also reported on a separate agreement with US firm HKN for the Rmelan fields in Hasakah, where management remains with the Syrian Democratic Forces for now even as sources say HKN is preparing to assume operational responsibilities under a recent 25‑year contract. The contrasting public statements and multiple foreign company announcements illustrate both growing international interest in Syria’s energy sector and continuing ambiguity over which deals are officially endorsed, as reported by Enab Baladi