Gas, oil reserves ten times more than predicted: Survey

Saturday October 14, 2006 (0202 PST)

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KABUL: Mines and Mineral Minister Engineer Mohammad Ibrahim Adil said the recent surveys revealed oil and gas reserves in Afghanistan were ten times more than predicated.

On return of his nine-day visit from the United States the minister told Pajhwok Afghan News the former estimation carried out by the Russian showed Afghanistan had 120 cubic meters gas and over 15 million tons of oil.

He said the new statistic was based on the geological survey of the United States which was showed to him during his visit. The new survey showed northern provinces and provinces of Herat, Helmand and Paktika many resources. Adil met US government officials and investors and discussed with technical support and investment in the field of gas in the war-battered country.

Privatization of the oil sites will soon begin in Shiberghan province from where Russian had also excavated oil, he said. The US officials promised technical cooperation and equipping geological survey department of Afghanistan with the required tools, he said, adding US investors also revealed eagerness for investment in Afghanistan.