To add Hunt Energy's refusal to comment and details:

From Timur Azhari

DAMASCUS, July 18 (Reuters) - U.S.-based Baker Hughes, Hunt Energy and Argent LNG will develop a comprehensive plan for Syria's oil, gas and power sector, in a partnership aimed at rebuilding energy infrastructure damaged by the 14- year civil war, Argent LNG Chief Executive Jonathan Bass said on Friday.

The move represents a rapid shift , as it will see American companies enter a country previously subject to one of the world's toughest sanctions regimes . US President Donald Trump decided to lift US sanctions on Syria at the end of June.

These companies intend to assist in oil and gas exploration and extraction and electricity production, giving the economy a boost as the government seeks to rebuild Syria and return it to the global stage .

The plan comes after other companies, many from Gulf Arab states, rushed to sign agreements to bolster Syria's power generation and port infrastructure.

Details of this comprehensive plan have not been published before .

" We are taking the initiative to develop a comprehensive master plan for energy and electricity generation in Syria based on an initial assessment of opportunities to improve generation capacity and service delivery in the near term ," Bass told Reuters by phone.

He added, "Our efforts aim to support the revitalization of the energy sector in coordination with the relevant authorities."

"This includes potential activities across the entire value chain, from exploration and production to power generation, including combined-cycle power plants," he said, declining to provide further details.

Argent LNG, which is developing an LNG export facility in the US state of Louisiana, signed a non - binding agreement in January to supply Bangladesh with up to five million tons of the fuel annually. This is the first major LNG supply agreement from the United States since Trump began his second term.

Reuters has not yet received a response to emailed questions from Baker Hughes . Texas-based Hunt Energy declined to comment .

The plan envisions starting with areas under Syrian government control west of the Euphrates River.

Eastern Syria, where most oil production is located, remains under the control of the US- backed , Kurdish- led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Washington has urged the SDF to integrate into the new authorities in Damascus after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.

Due to the 14-year war , Syria's electricity sector has been severely damaged , with the country currently producing only 1.6 gigawatts of electricity, down from 9.5 gigawatts before 2011. Reforming this sector would require billions of dollars in investment, so the cash-strapped country is looking to private investment or donors to cover such costs .

In May, Syria signed a memorandum of understanding with Qatari company UrbaCon Holding to develop $7 billion worth of power generation projects, including four combined-cycle gas turbine power plants and a 1,000-megawatt solar power plant in southern Syria.

* "Increasing interest"

In a post on LinkedIn on Thursday, Syrian Finance Minister Mohammad Yasser Barnieh said the three companies are forming an alliance to invest in Syria and develop the country's energy sector.

"This visit indicates a growing interest among American companies and investors in engaging with Syria," he said.

Bass, Hunt Energy CEO Hunter L. Hunt, and a senior Baker Hughes executive arrived in Syria on a private jet Wednesday morning . Bass said they were meeting with Bernie when Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Damascus, rocking the city.

Bass described the matter as "huge." Bass has been working on the energy project since visiting Damascus and meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in April .

Bass participated in official and unofficial efforts to urge Trump to meet with Shara.

This historic meeting was actually held in mid-May with the strong encouragement of the leaders of Turkey and Saudi Arabia . Trump announced the end of sanctions on Syria, and with their gradual lifting, investor interest in the country has increased.

However , a week of violence in the southern province of Sweida has cast a gloomy shadow over the country. The Syrian Network for Human Rights said the violence resulted in the deaths of at least 321 people.

"There are pitfalls, obstacles, and holes in Syria to operate in," Bass said. "If you don't have the team that has the will to accept those pitfalls, don't come here."

(Prepared by Abdel Hamid Makkawi and Salma Najm for the Arabic Bulletin - Edited by Moaz Abdel Aziz)