BackAfghan cabinet clears oil deal with CNPC
Afghan cabinet clears oil deal with CNPC
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Kabul: Afghanistan’s cabinet cleared the way for the war-torn state to sign a deal with China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) for the development of oil blocks in the Amu Darya basin, the Afghan President’s office said on Monday.
The deal covering drilling and a refinery in the northern provinces of Sar-e Pol and Faryab will be the first international oil production agreement entered into by the Afghan government for several decades.
“The Afghan cabinet has ordered mines minister Wahidullah Shahrani to sign an oil exploration contract for Amu Darya with CNPC," the statement said.
Jawad Omar, a spokesman for the mines ministry, said the contract would be signed on Wednesday.
State-owned CNPC and joint venture partner Watan Group —a diversified Afghan company—will explore for oil in three fields in the basin—Kashkari, Bazarkhami and Zamarudsay, which are estimated to hold around 87 million barrels of oil.
Under the contract, CNPC will agree to pay a 15% royalty on oil, a 20% corporate tax and give up to 70% of its profit from the project to the Afghan government.
The mines ministry said in October that the deal was likely to result in government revenues of $5 billion over the next 10 years.
Indian and Chinese bidders have been front-runners for deals to develop Afghanistan’s vast mineral deposits, which are valued at $3 trillion, worrying Western firms that have hesitated to invest in the country due to security concerns.
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