Prior to its withdrawal from the country in 2011 to comply with European Union sanctions, TotalEnergies produced approximately 53,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in Syria, primarily natural gas. Before the outbreak of the conflict, Syria exported nearly 380,000 barrels of oil per day in 2010. The civil war that followed the protests against the Bashar al-Assad regime profoundly destabilized the Syrian economy and destroyed a significant portion of the country's energy infrastructure.

Julien Pouget, Senior Vice President Middle East and North Africa, Exploration & Production at TotalEnergies, welcomed the resumption of cooperation with the Syrian oil company, noting the historical relationship between the two groups from 1988 to 2011. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, interest from major energy companies in Syria has intensified. Notably this week Chevron has announced that it has selected a site for the country's first deepwater oil and gas project, with technical operations scheduled to commence this summer.