DAMASCUS, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The direct and indirect losses that have befallen Syria since the beginning of the crisis over eight years ago are estimated at 81 billion U.S. dollars, Syria's Oil Minister Ali Ghanem said Wednesday.
Speaking during a parliament session, Ghanem was cited by state news agency SANA as saying that 17.8 million cubic meters of gas are secured on a daily basis in addition to 24,500 oil barrels.
The minister made it clear that the country needs 136,000 oil barrels daily, blaming the inability to secure the needed quantity on Western sanctions, which played a significant role in suffocating Syria's imports of oil.
On the other hand, the Ghanem said that 44 gas wells have recently become operative in Syria, which led to an increase in the production to 7.9 million cubic meters of gas on a daily basis.
He said that four more wells will enter into service by the end of 2019.
He said that the ministry is exerting efforts to secure the needs of oil and gas despite the tough sanctions and economic siege imposed on Syria.
