Receipt of applications for the participation of a tender on the development of the Afghan-Tajik oil and gas basin will begin on March 7, Afganistan.ru reports with reference to an official source.
The Afghan-Tajik oil and gas basin stretches from the Hindu Kush Mountains to the Amu Darya River and Elbrus Mountain in Balkh province. Studies conducted by U.S experts have shown that oil and gas reserves in the Afghan-Tajik basin and the Amu Darya basin are likely to reach 444 billion cubic metres of liquefied gas, 219 million tons of oil and 70 million tons of condensate, according to the Afghan Mines and Mining Industry Ministry's oil and gas exploration department head, Mohammad Nazar who spoke to journalists recently, Lemar TV channel reported.
It should be recalled that the first contract to develop oil and gas fields in Afghanistan was signed on Dec.28, 2011 with a Chinese state company CNPC. It cost $7 billion. Under the contract the Chinese company will develop three oil zones near Amu Darya in the Sari Pul and Faryab provinces. The work under this contract is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2012, KyrTAG reported.