Kurds win Syrian oil under secret US-Russian deal – prize for Raqqa
US-backed Syrian Kurdish militias reported Sunday, Oct. 22, the capture of Syria’s biggest oil field of al-Omar in the eastern Deir Ez-Zour province.
They were pressing on with their offensive against the Islamic State after capturing Raqqa. Al-Omar is located on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River. The Kurds’ takeover pre-empted its grab by a mixed force of Russian-backed Syrian army contingents and Hizballah, which had halted 6 km short of al-Omar.
While in the hands of ISIS, this field pumped up to 10,000 barrels today and is capable of producing up to 40,000 bpd. If repaired and brought up to scratch, it could potentially yield up to 120,000 bpd.
It now turns out that the Russian command’s secret order to the Syrian/Hizballah forces, exclusively reported by DEBKAfile last week, to halt where they stood after capturing Mayadin in eastern Syria from ISIS – and not advance on the oil field – was prompted by unpublished talks between US and Russian officers in the area.
The officers reached a deal on the disposition of these oil fields. Under that deal, it was decided to award the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia the richest Syrian field as a prize for its role in leading the SDF in the capture of ISIS’ de facto capital of Raqqa..
DEBKAfile’s sources add that Washington felt that the Kurds also deserved to be compensated for their Iraqi brothers’ loss of the Kirkuk oil city, which was seized last week by an Iraqi force boosted by pro-Iranian Shiite militias. The loss of Kirkuk to Baghdad and Tehran has deprived the Kurdish Regional Government of Iraq of the income from 600,000 barrels of oil a day. The al-Omar field produces a much smaller amount, but its revenue would save the KRG from economic meltdown.
Sources in Damascus, disgruntled over the handover of al-Omar to the Kurds, accused the Syrian Arab tribes who fought in Raqqa of backing the Kurdish militia’s claim to the oil field. They also suggested that ISIS opted to surrender the oil field to the Sunni Kurds, rather than letting it fall into the hands of Assad’s Alawi regime.
Russia’s consent to hand over Syria’s biggest oil field to pro-American Kurds was calculated to yield a quid pro quo in the form of Washington’s support for the Russian oil giant Rosneft taking control of the Kurdish oil pipeline from the KRG via Turkey to the Mediterranean.
Last Thursday, the state-controlled Rosneft reported a deal with the KRG to take majority control of 60 percent in the operation of this pipeline project.
The Iraqi government has demanded clarifications for Moscow’s step.
Now go take back Kirkuk from IRGC / Turks.
It is Kurdistan.
Please God, give Kurds MORE Kurdistan!
Why? So Israel can have a foreign base on Iraqi soil for its subversions?
That would be great! Wonderful idea!
Wattamatta? You got a problem with your eyes? Everywhere you look you see Jews…but you can’t spot a single Islamic imperfection. Try a brain enema.
You are an idiot. Iran is the ENEMY of all Arabs,Jews,Westerners, the World! Wake up
Agree, The Kurds should have their territory freed from the hands of the Iranian, Turks and Iraqis
LOL
It is Iraq, Iran and Syria.
There exists no country such as Kurdistan.
Kurdistan at least a real country under foreign occupation. The occupiers are western imperialist creations.
Well, there was no country as Palestine. And look what happened, now there is. At least throughout history, there was always a Kurd sect, with own language. Where did Palestinians propr up from?!
Where did Palestinians propr up from?!
They came from Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Lebanon and the Gulf States.
In fact, Yasser Arafat was born in Egypt, not Jerusalem!
Palestine has been country since BEFORE CHRIST…. go read your history books you uneducated pillock they Greeks called it Palestine when they where still inventing democracy….
Correct – the proper historical term is the ‘Levant.’
wrong Kurdistan became a country as soon as it declared it was a sovereign state, much like america ceased to be a British colony when it declared independence, or do you think america is still a British colony because Royal Britannia didn’t recognize its independence?
The Kurds deserve a country of their own. Unlike the Palestinians, the Kurds have lived in this area of hte middle east for millenium, having been abused and marginalized by their Arab/Muslim/Persian masters. They have their own language, culture, and the ability to govern. The Palesetinians are a MYTH. Historically, they are a mixture of immigrants from surrounding Muslim countries who wanted to work for the flegling Jewish state. Many are Jordanian (Jordan really is the Palestinain state).
Keep telling yourself that lie.
That is the TRUTH man. Arafat invented the “Palestinian People”. Israeli’s are a Great People. during the Syrian War their hospitals saved thousands of Syrian and other folks lives by treating them as human beings in their hospitals.
Palestine has been country since BEFORE CHRIST…. go read your history books you uneducated pillock they Greeks called it Palestine when they where still inventing democracy….
The first clear use of the term Palestine to refer to the entire area between Phoenicia and Egypt was in 5th century BC Ancient Greece, when Herodotus wrote of a “district of Syria, called Palaistinê” in The Histories, which included the Judean mountains and the Jordan Rift Valley.
No Ryan. Palestine doesnt exist it was only mentioned as a country by a Roman emperor who wanted to get rid of the Jewish state. Before that it was Israel and it will always be Israel!!
Haha…The Region was named Palestine after the Jewich rebellion against ROM.
Also Palestine came from Philishtim-which mean INVADER in jewish.
Also the so called Palestine where not Arabs.
And it was never a country.It was only a name for a region.
Amen Shep, you speak the truth. My Arab pastor also says the same, and his folks are from Egypt. The ” two state solution ” is really Hitler’s FINAL solution, REPACKAGED. All of this in the middle East that is happening, was foretold in The Living Word. It is all falling together EXACTLY 100% . God bless you ! He is coming soon and very soon. Brace for impact… ?
Additionally, The Ottoman Empire relocated thousands of “Musselman” families from the Bulkans to what is now Israel in the late 19th Century in an attempt make it productive. The relocation experiment never amounted to much though.
Now as to the Kurds, they are the ancient Medes, the more powerful half of the Medo-Persian Empire. They have occupied that area of the Middle East since the time of the Assyrians. Also, Salidin, the guy who gave the Crusaders fits, was a Kurd. Just some historical prospective.
Double standards
Very well stated mate….and totally true; it is time for the Kurds to be treated fairly and granted their own country with a decent source of income.
I totally agree with you Shep. The Arabs invaded Israel, they should go back and leave Israel. Go back to Yemen, this is where the Arabs originated from. The Kurds are surrounded by enemies from Iran, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran, however, Palestinians are backed by more than 20 Arab countries. They get handouts and support from almost everyone.
when there is no islam, there is no terror
Kurds are descendants of the ten northern tribes of Israel.
Kurds are descendents of the Medes
Free Kurdistan!
Kurds are nice people. But a bit naïve, though. In the end they will loose those same oilfields the same way Iraqi Kurds lost Kirkuks. Another move into Iran’s hands
You have never been reliable. You make up so much stuff. About on the same level as Stratfor, which is a joke.
Big loss for turkey. Major mistake not supporting Kurdistan, a reliable source of energy to turkey. Hard to believe. It should had sent troops to Kirkuk to defend the Kurds, and win the love of Kurdish people.
Now more dependent on Russia than ever before for energy.
And it will have seat for negotiations with Syrian Kurds for the Syrian oil, and Syrian Kurds will have money to defend against turkey, allied to Syria. It will be surrounded by suspicious neighbors.
It also means it needs the gas from Israel desperately!!
Also means turkey now more dependent on the west, and NATO. And he is not a reliable NATO partner after buying weapons from Russia. NATO won’t defend turkey ? anymore. When the time comes, it will be thanksgiving meal.
Muslims love Camel Dick too much. Especially the queer Turks. They can never get enough Camel prick
@ James Carrol:
“Comments containing incitement, libel or offensive language are barred under DEBKAfile’s regulations”
@ Debra:
It is ok to say Jews like wovens too much?
Debra =Sharmouta?
Based on some of these tasteless comments, this is starting to sound like Newsvine on MSNBC when they used to have a comments section after each news story (all gone now, likely due to some tasteless comments which we’re seeing here). Too bad——and I hope it doesn’t come to that here as well!
Did you consider that anyone with an agenda is able to post freely?
nothing is surprising…
A wise mind can separate the wheat from the chaff
My point being that it would be a shame to lose the comments section here on Debka the way it was discontinued on MSNBC Newsvine because some bloggers posted tasteless comments.
Kurds may the LORD bless you
Fantastic news!!
If this is so – absolutely brilliant! 
The Kurdish people have been betrayed by Western leaders in the name of political expediency for so long – President Trump’s Admin has stood up and allowed the right thing to be done! 
Without doubt – the most courageous and effective fighters against ISIS – the Kurdish YPG and YPJ!
Viva Kurdistan!
At least the USA did something positive for the Kurds
Please censor racist hateful post, and insults. Disturbing to read.
Totally agree!
No one should say Muslims love dicks; as no one should say Jews love wovens.
Right?
This whole thing appears like MOSSAD’s invisible hand is
at work manipulating the English and the Slavic sides for a common ground.