Attackers target Syrian natural gas infrastructure

Attacks on natural gas facilities in Syria caused a substantial loss in daily energy supplies, a Petroleum Ministry official said. The official in the Syrian Petroleum Ministry told the Syrian Arab News Agency terrorists attacked a natural gas pipeline that links Homs, a city in western Syria, to Deir Ezzor province, in the east. SANA said Sunday the attack cut off the supply of 194 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. A separate attack on a natural gas field in Palmyra, in central Syria, led to the loss of 70 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. The ministry source said the government restricted the use of electricity to cope with the natural gas shortage. SANA reported work was under way to repair damage from the attacks "as soon as possible." Last week, city officials in Homs said terrorists attacked the city's oil refinery, crippling its ability to deliver crude oil to the Syrian market. SANA reported one worker was injured in that attack. No data were published about the refinery's production potential. Syria relies on oil and natural gas revenue to help pay off its government debt. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says Syria's energy sector is in decline because of war and Western economic sanctions.