Daijiworld Media Network – Damascus
Damascus, Oct 16: Two pipelines carrying gas and petroleum products were damaged in separate incidents in Syria on Thursday, with an explosion triggering a fire in one and a fuel leak reported in the other, according to state media.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), citing the state-owned Syrian Petroleum Company, reported that an explosion struck the Jbessa gas export pipeline in the al-Arabidi area of Hasakah province, setting it on fire. Emergency teams isolated the damaged section and shut the valves to contain the blaze.
The Syrian Petroleum Company described the explosion as an act of sabotage. Officials said alternative arrangements would ensure continued gas supplies to power stations during repairs, while domestic gas supplies remained unaffected.
In a separate incident, a hole was discovered in the Baniyas-Homs petroleum-products pipeline in the Hadida area west of Homs, resulting in a leak. Emergency and technical teams were deployed to contain the leak and isolate the affected section.
Al Jazeera, citing Syrian state media, reported that the damage to the Baniyas-Homs pipeline was suspected to be linked to an attempted fuel theft. However, initial reports did not confirm the cause or identify those responsible.
The incidents come amid repeated disruptions to Syria's energy infrastructure. Earlier in October, an oil pipeline near Tal Hamis in Hasakah province was damaged in an incident the Syrian Petroleum Company also described as sabotage.
Syria is working to rebuild its oil and gas infrastructure after years of conflict, restoring production in northeastern oilfields and reconnecting them with processing facilities and refineries in Homs and Baniyas.
In January 2026, the Syrian Petroleum Company began pumping raw gas from the Jbessa fields in Hasakah to the Furqlus gas plant in the Homs countryside at a rate of around 1.2 million cubic metres per day to support electricity generation.
The Baniyas-Homs pipeline connects two key energy centres and transports petroleum products between them. The Baniyas refinery is undergoing an overhaul aimed at increasing its processing capacity from around 80,000 to 130,000 barrels per day.
Syria has also undertaken emergency pipeline repairs and plans to expand its transportation network. A September 2026 analysis by the Baker Institute for Public Policy said the Syrian Petroleum Company was repairing existing infrastructure and planning a heavy-crude pipeline linking northeastern oilfields to the Baniyas refinery.