Photo: rta.af
On September 14, a ceremony was held in northern Afghanistan to launch exploration and production at the Tuti-Maidan gas field.
The event was attended by Ismatulla Irgashev, the Uzbek president’s special representative for Afghanistan; Bahodyr Sidikov, chairman of Uzbekneftegaz; and Bakhtiyor Mamatkarimov, Uzbekistan’s deputy energy minister. Representing Afghanistan were Taliban* deputy prime minister for economic affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar and minister of mines and petroleum Hedayatullah Badri.
Baradar said the project’s launch shows the region that Afghanistan is ready for investment. He emphasized that the work would help reduce dependence on imported hydrocarbons and electricity, create jobs, curb capital outflow, and lay the groundwork for gas exports.
According to Amu.tv, the project is being carried out by the Uzbek company Eriellcom, which in October 2024 signed a 10-year contract pledging an initial investment of $100 million in the first year. Tolonews reported that a 25-year agreement was signed with AERL Group and KAM Energy Company. Earlier, Irgashev had said that the project would be managed by a joint Uzbek-Afghan venture, Eriell KAM.
The Tuti-Maidan natural gas field is located in Afghanistan’s Jowzjan and Faryab provinces, covering about 7,000 square kilometers. Its reserves are estimated at around 3 trillion cubic meters. Total investment in the project is expected to reach $1 billion over 10 years.
*The Taliban is designated as a terrorist organization in several countries, including Russia.
