News - Yemen: The pro-aggression government has reportedly transferred control of one of Shabwah’s largest oil sectors to a company described by sources as suspicious, in what observers say is a continued pattern of corruption and an attempt to repackage resource looting under new “international” fronts.

According to media outlets aligned with the coalition, state-run PetroMasila handed over Sector 5 in Shabwah to a company called Jent Hunt, presented as a Singaporean–Chinese entity partnered with local influential figures. 

Reports note, however, that the firm is directly tied to Jent Hunt Oil, the well-known US company previously operating in Yemen—raising questions about the motives behind rebranding the deal.

Although PetroMasila maintains a 30 percent share in the sector—compared to 15 percent for Jent Hunt Oil—the move is seen as the result of internal arrangements between loyalist power brokers and international companies. 

Under the recent agreements, Jent Hunt is expected to assume control of the sector within a week and dismiss the current workforce, replacing them with newly appointed staff—an indication of political bargaining inside the loyalist leadership.

Media aligned with the loyalists reported that the decision was issued by Rashad al-Alimi, the Saudi-appointed head of the so-called Presidential Leadership Council, amid his rivalry with Aidarous al-Zubaidi. Meanwhile, other outlets claimed that the new firm is run by the son of the leader of the Presidential Council.

Sources added that the company’s new staff were personally appointed by al-Alimi in exchange for political appointments granted to al-Zubaidi within the hotel-based government.

Documents from PetroMasila to employees slated for dismissal promised to preserve their rights, stating that the handover followed months of internal disputes opposed by various bodies, citing transparency and ownership concerns. 

Meanwhile, a previous memo from the so-called Yemeni Investment and Mineral Resources Company (YICOM) argued that the decision was necessary to avoid “serious consequences,” including the loss of foreign operational funding—an indication of coalition involvement in the process.

Sector 5, located in the Usaylan fields of Shabwah, is one of Yemen’s major oil discoveries (1996), with peak output exceeding 65,000 barrels per day. The sector also holds significant untapped LNG reserves, making it a prime target for renewed extraction efforts under new corporate fronts.

Observers say the move reflects an attempt by the aggressive states and their local proxies to resume oil extraction while avoiding confrontation with the Yemeni Armed Forces, which enforce restrictions on the looting of national resources. Analysts argue that these steps are designed to rebrand ongoing exploitation through newly created entities that retain the same foreign connections and objectives.

The timing of the handover, analysts note, signals the coalition’s intent to bypass commitments related to a just peace and continue extracting Yemen’s wealth while populations in occupied areas face economic collapse and widespread hardship, including the continued non-payment of salaries.

Shabwah’s Sector 5 is a strategic oil field long targeted by foreign powers, including the US, Saudi Arabia, and the Zionist entity, using loyalist proxies to bypass Yemen’s Armed Forces and national safeguards. 

Analysts say the transfer to a rebranded “international” company reflects a deliberate attempt to continue exploiting resources under a veneer of legitimacy while consolidating political and financial control. 

The sector’s high-value oil and untapped gas reserves make it a prime target, and the move coincides with ongoing humanitarian and economic crises in occupied areas, highlighting the wider impact of foreign-backed resource manipulation.