Syria''s oil output forecast to fall by more than half

DAMASCUS, Sept 23 (KUNA) -- Oil production in Syria is forecast to drop 360, 000 barrels per day next year, Oil Minister Sufian Al-Allaw said on Sunday, Allaw said in a statement that the output of the crude peaked in 1995 and 1996, indicating that the output has recently dropped by 385,000 bpd recently.
The official expressed hope to locate new traps of crude as a result of wide-scale exploration operations.
Syria's oil output was estimated, over the past years, at some 500,000 bpd. (end) am.rk KUNA 231659 Sep 07NNNN