Oil and Gas News from OilGasDaily.Com  
OIL AND GAS
IS earns $80 mn a month but starting to struggle: analysis
by Staff Writers
Beirut (AFP) Dec 7, 2015


The Islamic State group is pulling in some $80 million a month, mainly from levies and confiscations, but is struggling financially as strikes hit its oil infrastructure, analysis firm IHS said Monday.

In a new report, IHS Conflict Monitor said that IS, unlike other jihadist groups such as Al-Qaeda, does not need to rely on foreign funding as it can count on revenues from the large parts of Syria and Iraq under its control.

Using open source intelligence including social media and sources inside the countries, IHS said it estimates the group's overall monthly income to be around $80 million (75 million euros) as of late 2015.

About half the revenues come from levies and confiscations, with IS slapping a 20 percent charge on all services, IHS said. Some 43 percent comes from oil sales and the rest from drug smuggling, electricity sales and donations.

"IS controls the state so they tax the population, confiscate property, can produce income from state-run businesses and from oil and gas. Other terrorist groups don't have that," said Columb Strack, senior analyst at the London-based IHS.

But other groups also do not have significant territory to rule, so "it's not like they are making $80 million and spending all of that on weapons and building bombs," he told AFP.

IS seized control of significant parts of Syria and Iraq last year, declaring a self-styled Islamic "caliphate" and committing widespread atrocities.

A US-led coalition launched air strikes against the group in Iraq in August 2014 and in Syria a month later, and Moscow launched its own strikes in Syria in September this year.

The group has not followed its sweeping offensive of 2014 with other major gains and IHS said it is now having trouble making ends meet.

"There are early indications that the group is struggling to balance its budget, with reports of cuts to fighters' salaries, price hikes on electricity and other basic services, and the introduction of new agricultural taxes," IHS said.

It said the increasing targeting of oil infrastructure, including wells and tanker trucks, by US-led coalition and Russian warplanes was starting to have effect.

"Air strikes have significantly degraded the group's refining capacity and ability to transport oil via tanker convoys," IHS said.

Strack said IS was already starting to systematically charge residents for leaving its territory and, as it faces continued pressure, will be looking for other ways to raise funds.

"They can also try to raise the price of electricity, mobile phone networks, Internet and all kind of public services they are expected to provide," he said.

"But people are already struggling to pay. It's going to be a lot harder on the populations living within IS territories."


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
All About Oil and Gas News at OilGasDaily.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
OIL AND GAS
Parts of Texas economy slowing, but beating out nation
Houston (UPI) Dec 4, 2015
Parts of the oil-rich economy in Texas are showing signs of slowing down, but still outperforming the rest of the nation, the Dallas Federal Reserve said. A survey from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers said the number of jobs lost in the state as a result of the depressed oil economy may be worse than initially forecast. Lower crude oil prices have hurt the corporate profits for m ... read more


OIL AND GAS
Addressing climate change should start with energy efficiency

CO2 emissions set for historic fall in 2015: study

Banks move to support sustainable transport sector

China vows massive clean-up of power plants: Xinhua

OIL AND GAS
Scientists see the light on microsupercapacitors

Storing electricity in paper

Saft to supply LION batteries to power Textron control stations

36 countries launch world alliance for geothermal energy

OIL AND GAS
OX2 wins concession for one of Sweden's largest biogas plants

Brazil pins renewable energy hopes on 2nd generation ethanol

A more efficient way of converting ethanol to a better alternative fuel

Now is the time to uncover the secrets of the Earth's microbiomes

OIL AND GAS
Nuclear power as panacea for climate change? Experts divided

Ship carrying nuclear waste arrives in Australia

Hungary open to dialogue with EU over nuclear plant expansion

Nuclear power crucial for UN climate goal: top scientist

OIL AND GAS
In the trench war over climate text, a little means a lot

Money row threatens efforts to seal historic climate pact

Rockefeller-inspired climate action mobilizes $3.4 trillion

Climate study finds evidence of global shift in the 1980s

OIL AND GAS
GM to sell China-made vehicle in US first

Eliminating 'springback' to help make environmentally friendly cars

Lyft allies with Asia peers in Uber challenge

VW needs to be more modest, new CEO says

OIL AND GAS
On American forces, Iraq PM caught between US and Iran

Millions throng Iraq shrine for pilgrimage climax

Iraq does not need foreign ground forces to defeat IS: PM

Suicide bomber kills six in flashpoint Iraq town

OIL AND GAS








The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.