Syria has signed three agreements to build new domestic refineries, the country's oil minister said, Kuwait's official Kuna news agency reported late Monday.
The first agreement, covering construction of a refinery with capacity to process 140,000 barrels a day of heavy crude oil at Abu Khashab, has been signed between Syria and Kuwait's Noor Financial Investment Co., Kuna cited Oil Minister Sufian Allaw as saying in Kuwait.
A second agreement has been signed with Iran, Venezuela and Malaysia for another 140,000-barrel a day refinery that will process heavy crude at Al Farqalas in Homs, Allaw said, Kuna reported.
A third deal to build a 100,000 barrel a day facility at Deir El Zor that will also process heavy crude, has been signed with China, Allaw said, according to Kuna.
Allaw added that Syria's average daily oil production presently stands at about 380,000 barrels a day, with gas production at 22 million cubic meters a day.