Taliban-led Afghanistan starts oil extraction in Qashqari

For the first time ever, the Taliban-led Afghanistan on Sunday started extracting oil from the wells of the Qashqari oilfield, according to Anadolu. 

A statement issued by the Mines and Petroleum Ministry said about 200 tonnes of oil is currently being extracted from nine of the 10 wells in the Qashqari basin in Sar-e-Pul. 

However, the officials hope to increase the capacity of extraction from 200 tonnes to more than 1,000 tonnes.

"Priority will be given to the employment of technical and non-technical staff and the reconstruction of the mine using the revenues of Sar-e-Pul," the Bakhtar News Agency quoted acting Mines and Petroleum Minister Sheikh Shahabuddin Delawar as saying.

His comments came during an inauguration ceremony of the wells which was attended by several senior Taliban officials.

Terming the country’s mines as an important economic source, Delawar said that the people of Afghanistan should fully harness the sources of the mines.

Mullah Mohammad Nadar Haqjo, who is the acting governor of Sar-e-pul, said that the country is focusing on its development through internal resources. He also assured that the incompleted projects in the last 20 years will be finalised.

The Taliban signed an agreement with a Chinese company last year to extract oil from Sar-e-Pul.

Moreover, the interim Afghan Taliban government and a Chinese firm also closed a 25-year deal for the extraction of oil from the Amu River basin and the development of an oil reserve in the north.

The Chinese company will initially invest $150 million which will be increased to $540 million in three years.

There is more than $1 trillion worth of untapped resources in Afghanistan which attract foreign investors.