Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has signed a contract with Saudi Arabia’s Delta International Company for exploration and extraction in the Kushk-Tirpul oil basin between Herat and Badghis.
The agreement was signed on September 7 in Kabul in the presence of senior Afghan officials and representatives of the company. Under the contract, Delta International is expected to make an initial investment of $200 million.
The first phase covers exploration and extraction work in seven gas blocks in the Kushk area. Afghan economic authorities say the wider Kushk-Tirpul basin covers about 22,000 square kilometres.
The agreement adds a new foreign-investment commitment in Afghanistan’s extractive sector. The $200 million figure is the initial investment specified by the government; later spending and production will depend on exploration results and implementation of the contract.