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Huge Oil Reserves Discovered in Afghanistan
U.S. Geological Survey and Afghanistan scientists say they’ve found a significantly greater petroleum resource base in that nation than was expected.
The USGS and the Afghanistan Ministry of Mines and Industry conducted the first-ever assessment of Afghanistan’s undiscovered petroleum resources in a two-year study funded by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
Much of the petroleum resource potential of Afghanistan and all of the known crude oil and natural gas reserves are in the nation’s northern areas, located in parts of two geologic basins: the Amu Darya Basin to the west and the Afghan-Tajik Basin to the east.
USGS scientists said most of the undiscovered crude oil is in the Afghan-Tajik Basin, and most of the undiscovered natural gas is in the Amu Darya Basin.
http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=137481
WASHINGTON -- Two geological basins in northern Afghanistan hold 18 times the oil and triple the natural gas resources previously thought, scientists said yesterday as part of a U.S. assessment aimed at enticing energy development in the war-torn country.
Nearly 1.6 billion barrels of oil and about 15.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas could be tapped, said the U.S. Geological Survey and Afghanistan's Ministry of Mines and Industry.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai described the estimates as "very positive findings," particularly since the country now imports most of its energy, including electricity.
"Knowing more about our country's petroleum resources will enable us to take steps to develop our energy potential, which is crucial for our country's growth," said Karzai, whose government was created after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 and later won national elections.
The $2-million US assessment, paid for by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, was nearly four years in the making.
U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton, whose agency includes the Geological Survey, said the assessment would help Afghanistan better understand and manage its natural resources.
Afghanistan's petroleum reserves were previously thought to hold 88 million barrels of oil and five trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
"There is a significant amount of undiscovered oil in northern Afghanistan," said Patrick Leahy, the U.S. Geological Survey's acting director.
Officials anticipate companies could begin energy exploration in two or three years.
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/World/2006/03/15/1488785-sun.html
Much of the petroleum resource potential of Afghanistan and all of the known crude oil and natural gas reserves are in the nation’s northern areas, located in parts of two geologic basins: the Amu Darya Basin to the west and the Afghan-Tajik Basin to the east.
USGS scientists said most of the undiscovered crude oil is in the Afghan-Tajik Basin, and most of the undiscovered natural gas is in the Amu Darya Basin.
http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=137481
WASHINGTON -- Two geological basins in northern Afghanistan hold 18 times the oil and triple the natural gas resources previously thought, scientists said yesterday as part of a U.S. assessment aimed at enticing energy development in the war-torn country.
Nearly 1.6 billion barrels of oil and about 15.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas could be tapped, said the U.S. Geological Survey and Afghanistan's Ministry of Mines and Industry.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai described the estimates as "very positive findings," particularly since the country now imports most of its energy, including electricity.
"Knowing more about our country's petroleum resources will enable us to take steps to develop our energy potential, which is crucial for our country's growth," said Karzai, whose government was created after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 and later won national elections.
The $2-million US assessment, paid for by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, was nearly four years in the making.
U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton, whose agency includes the Geological Survey, said the assessment would help Afghanistan better understand and manage its natural resources.
Afghanistan's petroleum reserves were previously thought to hold 88 million barrels of oil and five trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
"There is a significant amount of undiscovered oil in northern Afghanistan," said Patrick Leahy, the U.S. Geological Survey's acting director.
Officials anticipate companies could begin energy exploration in two or three years.
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/World/2006/03/15/1488785-sun.html
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The agency estimated mean undiscovered resources at 15.7 tcf of gas, 1.6 billion bbl of oil, and 562 million bbl of natural gas liquids. Most of the gas is indicated to be in the Amu Darya basin and most of the oil in the Afghan-Tajik basin.
The two basins cover a combined 200,000 sq miles in northern Afghanistan, and the USGS assessed 33,000 sq miles of that. It subdivided four petroleum systems into eight assessment units.
Formations with the greatest potential are, for gas, Upper Jurassic carbonate and reef reservoirs beneath an impermeable salt layer in relatively unexplored parts of northern Afghanistan and, for oil, Cretaceous to Paleogene carbonate reservoir rocks associated with thrust faulting and folding in the Afghan-Tajik basin.
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