Syria's Eastern Oil Wells Are On Fire

Black smoke billowing from Homs refinery (file photo)

Syria Says Rebels Set Fire To Three Eastern Oil Wells -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Syrian rebels have set three oil wells in the east of the country ablaze, causing a daily loss of nearly 5,000 barrels of oil and 52,000 cubic meters of gas, state media quoted an oil ministry official as saying on Sunday.

SANA news agency said the damage to the oil wells in Deir al-Zor province, much of which is in rebel hands, followed disputes among the fighters over "sharing out the stolen oil" from fields in areas they control.

It said Syria's Furat Petroleum Corporation was working to extinguish the three fires. A total of nine wells had been set on fire by the rebels, the agency added, without saying when the other six had been set ablaze.

Furat was not immediately able to comment on the report.

Read more ....

Update #1: Syria blames rebels for setting oil wells on fire -- CBS/AP
Update #2: Militants set oil wells ablaze in Syria -- Press TV (Iran)

My Comment: This can quickly spiral into a an even bigger disater .... on top of the multiple disasters that are occurring everywhere in Syria today.