Syrian Oil and Minerals Minister Ali Ghanem signed a contract with Russian company Europolis last year to run the natural gas deposits in Syria’s Humus. While this agreement was still in force, another deal was signed with Tedmür petroleum.
Europolis will receive a 25 percent share in oil and gas production revenues, and the validity of the agreement is for five years. The organization has a single employee, listed as the General Director.
Europolis will work closely with the company Stroytransgaz, which is owned by Mikhail Vladimirovich Karyapov, a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Claims have emerged alleging that Europolis is a front organization. The company has had no visible activity from its establishment until December 2016, and has an authorized capital of only 10,000 Russian rubles.
Europolis is due to claim a quarter of all gas and oil from Syrian territory captured by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Europolis, which is operational in the oil fields in Syria, seems to belong to Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is referred to as “Putin’s cook” because his Petersburg restaurant is frequented by the Russian president.
Ties between security service forces in Ukraine and Syrian armed groups, known as private military companies, have been previously questioned. It has been claimed that businessmen with links to Putin could be the sponsors of private armies.
Approximately 2.5 billion barrels of oil are produced annually in Syria. The oil deposits are located in the triangle of Tedmur, Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa.
The Assad regime has launched a comprehensive military operation in the eastern regions of Syria.
It is not unheard of for foreign countries to intervene in the oil and gas fields with security companies.
The United States used mercenaries under a private security company called Blackwater, especially during the Iraq war. The name of this company is known for its many stories of massacres and torture.
