USGS Projects in Afghanistan

USGS Projects in Afghanistan

  
Oil and Natural Gas

Since the first oil field was discovered in Afghanistan in 1959, more than 150 million barrels of oil (mmbo) reserves and more than 4,500 billion cubic feet of gas (bcfg) reserves have been identified, using Soviet methodologies and technologies, in 29 fields in the Afghan portion of the Amu Darya and Afghan-Tajik basins (fig. 3). Only a very small portion of this reported resource base has been exploited. The country has not been well explored for oil and gas potential using the latest techniques. There is enormous opportunity for further discoveries to add to Afghanistan's energy resource base. That resource base is essential to the economic development of the country.

Oil and Gas Fields and Generalized Geology in the area of Afghanistan

Role of USGS

The USGS has previously conducted broad regional oil and gas resource assessments of northwestern Afghanistan as part of the Amu Darya basin, most of which is located in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. These assessments were published by Kingston (1986 and 1990), Masters and others (1995), and Ulmishek (2000).

In previous assessments the oil and gas potential of the northwestern part of Afghanistan was not specifically identified; rather it was allocated from the assessment of the Amu Darya basin. Those studies were intended to provide information on overall oil and gas potential for the basin. The petroleum potential of the northeastern part of Afghanistan (part of the Afghan-Tajik basin), most of which is located in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, has not been evaluated. Additionally, the Katawaz and Helmand tectonic blocks in southern and southwestern Afghanistan contain areas (fig. 3) with thick sedimentary sections and with possible petroleum potential that has not been assessed. To properly evaluate petroleum potential of Afghanistan, the better-known petroleum geology of the portions of the basins that lie in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan needs to be studied as a part of this project and incorporated in the analysis.

The USGS proposes a comprehensive assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources for all of Afghanistan, based on a detailed study of geochemistry, petroleum geology, and tectonics of the country combined with an analysis of previous exploration efforts. A country-based project with similar but less comprehensive objectives was conducted by USGS for Bangladesh during 2000 and 2001. This assessment is designed to provide information required by the Afghan Government for policy making regarding resource development. The assessment results provide the basis for lease block designation and information required to attract the interest of oil and gas exploration companies.

Objectives

  1. Obtain and review all available geochemical, geologic, seismic, tectonic, petroleum exploration and production data from both domestic and international sources. An up- to-date and comprehensive data set is required in order to produce a comprehensive assessment.
  2. Analyze the geochemical, geologic, seismic, and tectonic data to characterize the petroleum geology. Define petroleum systems and exploration plays based on these analyses using Geographic Information System (GIS) based techniques.
  3. Train Afghan scientists in analysis and assessment for the purpose of gaining further insight into Afghan petroleum basins and to provide training for the scientists in the analysis and assessment processes.
  4. Conduct assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources.
  5. Disseminate the resulting digital reports through USGS and/or the Government of Afghanistan.

Initial project activities

Oil and Natural Gas Resources Assessment. A nationwide oil and gas resources assessment was initiated by USGS in Spring 2003 with funding from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA). This 24-month activity should be completed in early 2005, and will dovetail with two projects that are being funded by the World Bank. These World Bank projects are for engineering assessments of the oil and gas reserves in existing fields and for an assessment of the fertilizer, sulfur, and power plants associated with natural gas production in the northern oil and gas basins of Afghanistan. The completion of these projects should be near the end of 2004. The USGS project calls for a Quantitative assessment of the northern basins and a Qualitative assessment of the southern basins (Katawaz and Helmand).

Seismic Survey of the Northern Oil and Gas Fields. This project is projected to begin possibly in Fall 2004 and will consist of running approximately 650 kilometers of regional seismic survey lines across the oil and gas basins of northern Afghanistan. This survey will provide additional and critical data that will enhance the USGS oil and gas resources assessment and will provide additional data that will be used for marketing and leasing of "lease blocks" in the northern oil and gas basins. This activity is funded by TDA to the U.S. private sector with USGS providing technical oversight.

Quantitative Oil and Gas Resources Assessment of the Katawaz and Helmand Basins. Discussions and planning for a quantitative oil and gas resources assessment in these southern Afghanistan basins have been initiated. This assessment, in areas where there is a paucity of data and information, will require fieldwork to collect source and reservoir rock samples and to map the geology; seismic surveys across critical areas of the basins; airborne geophysics surveys to gather regional basinal data; and potentially the drilling of stratigraphic control holes to confirm the geologic data. This work has initially begun with reconnaissance fieldwork and planning for an airborne geophysics survey likely to begin in the Fall 2004. DOD and others are likely funding sources for this activity.

Petroleum Law. The writing and discussion of a modern Afghanistan Petroleum law have been ongoing for more than two years. This law, when enacted, will serve to level the playing field for all interested foreign investors in the oil and gas sector and will provide for transparency in the management of this critical energy sector of the country. Basically, it will lay out the Afghanistan Government's leasing process for foreign investors. The World Bank is funding this activity; government approval of the new law is expected by the end of calendar year 2004. USGS serves a consulting role in this activity.

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