Uzbek Company Begins Survey of Afghan-Tajik Oil Fields in Balkh Province
The Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has announced the commencement of a survey of the Afghan-Tajik oil fields in northern Afghanistan by an Uzbek company. This project covers three oil blocks in Balkh Province.
According to a newsletter released on Wednesday, February 15, the survey is being conducted in the “Mohammadjan Field,” “Ahmadabad,” and “Shamar” blocks. The ministry stated that the execution of the two-dimensional seismic survey in these areas has been entrusted to the Uzbek company Avizsiz.
The Taliban administration has declared the total area of these three blocks to be 7,617 square kilometers and described the Afghan-Tajik region as one of the large and established oil fields in the northern part of the country. This region is considered among the areas with potential oil and gas capacity along Afghanistan’s northern borders.
Over the past four years, the Taliban administration has accelerated the extraction process and signing of contracts related to the country’s major mines. However, several citizens and experts emphasize that due to the lack of internal and international legitimacy of the Taliban administration, the manner in which these contracts are signed and the transparency of the mining extraction process face serious questions.
Critics call for transparent oversight, publication of contract details, and the guarantee of national interests in large mining and oil projects, as mines and natural resources are public assets of the country. Any exploitation must be carried out with clear accountability and within the framework of the long-term interests of the Afghan people.
