Pentagon chief Mark Esper has said that the United States is considering sending American troops and armored vehicles to help protect oil fields in northeastern Syria controlled by US-allied Syrian Kurds, AP reports.

Esper told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels that the US wants to ensure that Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) militants don’t get access to the oil, which could allow the insurgent group to obtain resources to rebuild.

The US is considering repositioning American troops and mechanized forces, which include armored vehicles, into the area around the oil fields, according to Esper.

The defense secretary has not provided any details about the possible number of troops, but said that the US will maintain a “reduced presence” in the war-torn country.