The Russian Federation Plans to Extract Oil in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
The Russian Federation Plans to Extract Oil in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
According to statements made by Nuriddin Azizi, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and the Business Representative of the Russian Federation in Afghanistan, a Russian company has already begun geological exploration activities and is ready to commence drilling operations.
Simultaneously, construction work on an oil refinery will begin. The site for the refinery has already been selected, the Russian representative told RIA Novosti.
As noted by Neftegaz i Kapital, the proven oil reserves in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan are estimated at approximately 1.6 billion barrels of crude oil, along with 440 billion cubic meters of natural gas. However, current production volumes are extremely limited, amounting to no more than 1,500 metric tons per day.
In the year 2023, the government in Kabul signed an agreement with the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) for geological exploration in the Amu Darya Basin. The investments under this agreement were reported to be relatively modest, and no information has been released regarding the results of the exploration activities.