Afghanistan plans to launch 25 new oil wells in the Amu Darya basin, increasing daily oil production to 3,000 tons.
Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, shared that there are currently 24 active wells in this field, from which 1,300 tons of oil are extracted daily. According to Fitrat: “The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum plans to activate 25 more wells by the end of this year, of which 18 will be newly drilled, two will be exploratory wells, and five will be rehabilitated.”
Economic experts stress that officials should carefully plan new well drilling and attract investors to process the extracted oil.
Economic expert Abdul Zahoor Madaber stated that Afghanistan has abundant natural resources but lacks modern machinery to process them, and cooperation with other countries is needed to import this equipment.
Mohammad Asif Stanekzai, another economic expert, added: “The production and processing of natural resources can create job opportunities and have a positive impact on reducing inflation in Afghanistan.”
According to the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, only 10% of Afghanistan’s oil needs are currently met from domestic production.
The Amu Darya is a vital river for Central Asian countries. While 72-73% of its water originates in Tajikistan, the majority is used by neighboring countries.
In April of this year, the countries of Central Asia distributed Amu Darya and Syrdarya water for the summer of 2024. Under the agreed quota, the draw on water from the Amu Darya watershed will be 56 billion cubic meters for the year, with about 40 billion cubic meters used in the April-to-October growing season. As stated in the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) agreement, Uzbekistan will receive 16 billion cubic meters, Turkmenistan will receive 15.5 billion cubic meters, and Tajikistan will receive 6.9 billion cubic meters.
The ICWC claims that the total number of irrigated lands in Central Asian countries is 4.3 million hectares in Uzbekistan, 2.5 million hectares in Kazakhstan, 1.9 million hectares in Turkmenistan, 1 million hectares in Kyrgyzstan, and 680,000 hectares in Tajikistan.
