TARTUS, Syria, Sept 1- Syria conducted its first official oil export in 14 years, dispatching 600,000 barrels of heavy crude oil from the port of Tartus on Monday.

This transaction was part of an agreement with B Serve Energy, a firm connected to the global oil trading company BB Energy. Syria’s oil sector, which exported 380,000 barrels per day in 2010, was significantly impacted by the nearly 14-year war.

The current government, established after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, aims to revitalize the nation’s economy. The exported crude was sourced from multiple Syrian fields, though specific locations were not disclosed, and its export follows a period where Syrian oil fields in the northeast, under Kurdish-led authority control, began supplying the central government, though relations have since deteriorated.

The nation’s oil industry has been further complicated by shifting field ownership during the conflict and U.S. and European sanctions. The lifting of American sanctions by President Donald Trump in June has opened avenues for U.S. firms to engage in Syrian oil and gas exploration. Additionally, Syria has signed an $800 million memorandum of understanding with DP World to develop and operate a multi-purpose terminal at Tartus.

with information from Reuters