Syria discovers new gas field as HRW demands gas, oil sanctions on the regime

Syrian Oil Ministry says a new gas field in central Syria has been recently discovered, as the Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the European Union on Tuesday to freeze oil and gas assets of the Syrian regime for its alleged brutal military offensive on coastal Latakia. The HRW claims that the Syrian military operation in Latakia has claimed the lives of at least seven people over the last 24 hours. International pressures have been increasing on the Syrian government to end its military crackdown. Syria defended its crackdown saying it's tracking down terrorist groups that are tampering with its security and terrorizing people. According to Syrian Oil Ministry, the gas field was discovered by the Syrian Oil Company in Qara city, some 100 kilometers far from the capital Damascus, at a depth of 3,113 meters with a production capacity of 400,000 cubic meters per day. Syria daily output of crude oil has been estimated at 30.3 million cubic meters in the first half of 2011. Syria imports 2.5 million cubic meters of gas a day from Egypt. Syria also produces about 379,000 barrels of oil a day. Syria's oil exports are among the main earners of foreign currency for the government as it is a key source of income for the Syrian economy that has been hit hard by more than five months of unrest, which hit also the sector of tourism that accounted last year for roughly 12 percent of GDP and brought in 8 billion U. S. dollars in hard currency. Syria blames the five-month-old unrest on a foreign conspiracy and armed groups and pledged that there would be no letup in its crackdown on those gunmen to restore stability and security to the country.