Afghanistan to call for tenders to extract oil and gas

KABUL [Afghanistan]: The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan will announce tenders for oil and gas fields soon, Khaama Press reported. The acting minister of Mines and Petroleum, Shahabuddin Delawar, announced on Sunday that the ministry would shortly begin the bedding process to extract some of the oil and gas from fields in the country soon.

Delawar brought up this matter in a meeting with the board of a Chines company in Kabul, Khaama Press reported. Meanwhile, the Chines Company reportedly expressed interest in investing in oil and gas in Afghanistan, a statement said by the ministry.

The ministry welcomed the Chinese interest in investing in the oil and gas fields, saying: "Afghanistan has rich oil and gas resources, and the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum will shortly announce a part of the country's oil and gas fields for bidding."

Those who are interested may lawfully participate in the bidding, he continued.

On January 6, the Taliban authorities signed a contract with Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Company (CAPEIC) to extract oil from the Amu Darya basin, Khaama Press reported.

According to Taliban officials, the Chinese company will initially invest USD 150 in the project and USD 450 over the next three years.

According to experts, signing such projects is of utmost significance for the Taliban administration because they provide cash for the current regime and encourage future investment in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported. Afghanistan is rich in natural resources, but the untapped resources have yet to be exploited due to political unrest.