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Brief history of the country
Afghanistan (the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) is land-locked bordering Pakistan (south and east), Iran (west), Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan (north), and China (northeast).
Migrants from the Indus and Central Asia settled in Afghanistan and were ruled by empires including the Achaemenid (from 550 BC), Greek (330 BC), Mauryan (305 BC), Greco-Bactrian (185 BC), Indo-Scythian (200 BC), Parthian (100 BC), Kushan (50 BC), Sassanid (250 AD) and the Kidarites and Hephthalites (400 AD). Arabs arrived with Islam in 642.
The Mongols invaded in 1219 followed by the Timurid Empire in 1370 and then the Mughas and Safavids (1526). An Afghan Empire of local tribes was eventually established in 1709. In the 19th century this empire was split and Afghanistan became a buffer state between British India and Russia.
In 1919 the country was finally reunited as an independent state. Communist factions in the country seized power in 1978, supported by the Soviets (until 1989), and the ensuing civil war led to the rise of the Taliban. The Taliban took control of the south in 1994 allied with Al-Qaeda.
After 9/11, in 1996, foreigners led by the USA, supporting a Northern Alliance of tribes, arrived to attempt to defeat the Taliban. A new government was eventually installed but Taliban forces continued to fight to regain control and the foreigners eventually left in 2021.
Taliban rule returned and the country has lost most of its international aid. The new government has increasingly imposed strict Islamic rules particularly involving the subjugation of women.
Oil and gas summary
Afghanistan is a land-locked country with plains in the north and southwest separated by a large area of central highlands. The northeastern Hindu Kush mountain range is in a geologically active area where the country's highest point is Noshaq at 7,492m.
Natural resources include coal, copper, iron ore, lithium, uranium, rare earths, chromite, gold, zinc, talc, sulphur, lead, and precious and semi-precious stones.
The country is structurally complicated, consisting of a succession of narrow northeast-trending terrains of continental fragments of Palaeozoic to Tertiary age.
There are 4 areas where thick sediments are present. In the north are the Amu Dar’ya and Afghan-Tajik Basins (part of the same geological terrain), in the southwest is the Helmand Basin, in the southeast is the Katawaz area, and in the west is the Heart Basin.
Oil and gas potential has only been recognised in the Amu Dar’ya and Afghan-Tajik basins which also produce gas, condensate and oil in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan since 1974.
Gas has been produced from the Amu Darya Basin. However, only limited volumes have been recovered since 1990. It is forecast by Globalshift that new gas will come onstream over coming years but of course this depends on the political situation and security. Over the long term gas exports could begin into regional gas pipeline networks.
The country produces small volumes of condensate but no oil although, in the past, it produced a little oil from the northwest. Growing output of liquids may be expected along with gas, albeit at modest levels. It is unlikely that European or American companies will invest but CNPC has had some success. Exports of gas may begin to China.
AFGHANISTAN
Map and National Flag
CENTRAL ASIA
Mountains from the air
Central Asia
Capital
Population
Land area (sq kms)
Oil prod (000s b/d)
Gas prod (bcm/yr)
Oil cons (000s b/d)
Gas cons (bc
m/yr)
Kabul
22 mm
652,090
5.1
0.14
37
0.14
Government
Afghanistan had a council of ministers, provincial governors and a national assembly, with a president serving as head of state and commander-in-chief of the army, backed by two vice presidents.
The national assembly was bicameral composed of the elected 249-seat House of the People and the appointed and elected 102-member House of Elders.
When the Taliban returned in 2021 it declared the country an Islamic Emirate and installed a new government modelled on Iran.
Government ministries and agencies are run by a men only cabinet presided over by a Prime Minister. Alongside a Supreme Leader runs an executive body known as the Supreme Council.
The oil and gas industry in Afghanistan was overseen by the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum.
The Afghanistan Petroleum Authority was established in 2013 tasked with project management, governance, regulation and supervision of the oil and gas sector.
AFGHANISTAN: SEDIMENTARY BASINS
Globalshift.co.uk (source: Gustavson Associates)
History of Exploration
Exploration commenced in Afghanistan in 1956. The first oil field (Angoat) was discovered in 1959 in the Afghan-Tajik Basin. Following on from this, the Yatim Taq gas field was drilled in 1960, the Khwaja Gogerdaq gas field in 1961, and the Khwaja Bulan gas field in 1964 all in the Amu Dar’ya Basin.
Angoat came onstream in 1975 but the most significant production has been of gas with some condensate, both beginning in 1967 from the Khwaja Gogerdag field.
Most exploration activity has been concentrated in the Amu Dar’ya basin, however it remains unexplored compared to neighbouring countries. Output of gas peaked in 1980 and fell dramatically following departure of the Soviets in 1989. All gas exports to Turkmenistan ceased in 1992.
From 1992 to the 2000s very little drilling occurred in the unstable country but some minor activity returned from 2001. A Licensing Round was launched in 2009 and 3 blocks were eventually awarded after the Amu Dar’ya 2011 and the Afghan-Tajik 2012 tenders had been launched.
This led to development of the Faryab/Sar-i-Pul oil field by CNPC in the Afghan-Tajik Basin which had been discovered in 1960. It came onstream in 2013.
The production potential for Afghanistan is uncertain as future output largely depends on how the political situation resolves itself over the next few years. Currently the country remains difficult to work in although the northern part, where most oil and gas potential is located, is more secure.