Russian construction company Stroytransgaz does not expect to halt its operations in Syria despite widespread unrest in the country, head of the company Sergei Makarov said Friday.
Stroytransgaz has operated in Syria since 2000, participating in the South Middle Area Gas Exploitation Project, that includes the construction of a 319 km pipeline and a gas treatment facility, according to the company's website.
"So far the situation is normal, we don't plan to withdraw [our personnel]," Makarov said. "The company's facilities in Syria are well protected and there is no threat to the project."
In 2007, the company signed a deal with Syrian Gas Company to construct a second gas treatment facility, according to the Stroytransgaz website.
The annual projected capacity of the facility is 1.3 billion cubic meters of purified gas, 600,000 mt of LPG, and 136,200 cu m of condensate.
The project includes the construction of infrastructure facilities at the West Twinan, Twinan, Al Gour, East Al Akram, and Al Harith gas fields.
Earlier this month, Total and Shell informed the Syrian authorities of their decision to stop oil and natural gas operations in the country to comply with international sanctions.
The European Union tightened sanctions against Syria's energy and financial sectors on Friday last week, the latest in a series of measures against Damascus over the Bashar Assad regime's violent crackdown against pro-democracy protesters.
The UN estimates at least 4,000 people have died since March when anti-government protests erupted.
