Toti-Maidan Gas Project in Jowzjan Faces Technical and Financial Problems
The Toti-Maidan gas project in Jowzjan province, despite being promoted as an important energy initiative, is now facing technical and financial problems as well as implementation obstacles. The Taliban-run Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said a technical delegation from the ministry had discussed the contract for the gas block and the challenges ahead in Uzbekistan.
According to a statement from the ministry, the delegation, led by Ahmadjan, senior adviser to the Taliban-run Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, met on Tuesday, 31 Sonbola, with Uzbekistan’s minister of mines and industry and a number of officials from that country. The Taliban said the meeting reviewed the project’s status, technical and financial problems, and obstacles to implementing the contract.
The Taliban-run Ministry of Mines and Petroleum also said that during a previous visit by an Uzbek delegation to Afghanistan, a 120-day deadline had been set to examine the problems facing the Toti-Maidan project. Under that agreement, the two sides were to assess the existing obstacles within that period and take steps to resolve them.
Uzbek officials said that despite the signing of a contract between a private company and the Taliban-run Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, the project is also being pursued formally by the Uzbek government. They added that they are ready to cooperate in monitoring, financing, and resolving the project’s technical problems.
The Taliban-run Ministry of Mines and Petroleum also said it would cooperate in the parts related to the ministry to remove obstacles and advance the project. This comes as the project, despite its formal launch, is still facing challenges that have affected its implementation.
The review and extraction project for Toti-Maidan gas began on 23 Sonbola 1404 in Jowzjan. At the launch ceremony, Ismatullah Irgashev, Uzbekistan’s special presidential envoy for Afghanistan, Abdul Ghani Baradar, the economic deputy of the Taliban’s prime minister’s office, and a number of officials from both sides were present.
Baradar said at the time that completing the gas survey and extraction would help meet part of Afghanistan’s domestic needs and reduce dependence on imported gas and electricity. He also said that if production increased, the way would be opened for gas exports as well.
In recent years, the Taliban have signed numerous contracts for the survey and extraction of oil, gas and mineral resources in Afghanistan with different companies and countries, but some of these projects have faced delays, technical problems or a lack of financial resources. Toti-Maidan is one of the well-known gas fields in northern Afghanistan and is located in Jowzjan province.
