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The value of oil, gas, metals, raw materials and other natural mineral resources present in Afghanistan is estimated at more than three trillion dollars i.e. Rs 280 lakh crore.
Afghanistan has long been known as a country that is rich in natural resources, but has a weak economy.
A large part of these resources is still underground and the work of taking them out has not started.
Different estimates have also been made regarding the actual quantity and value of these reserves of natural resources.
The value of Afghanistan's mineral reserves and natural resources can be understood in simple words in such a way that if the country has resources worth three trillion dollars and the annual general and development budget of the government is about 10 billion dollars, then it will not need any foreign economic help for about 300 years.
Which resources in which province?
The purpose of this report is to present a clear picture of Afghanistan's mineral reserves and natural resources.
In this, an attempt has been made to understand which resources and in what quantity are there in which province and what is their value officially declared by the government.
In this report of BBC Fact Check, the condition of mineral reserves and mines present in different provinces has been examined.
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Its objective is to find out where these reserves are, what is their current condition and what is their value according to available estimates.
The first large-scale research on Afghanistan's mineral reserves was done during the former Soviet Union.
During these exploration campaigns, geological maps of different areas of the country were prepared.
The rocks and underground layers were assessed, aerial surveys were conducted and mineral deposits were discovered.
Some of these research documents are preserved in the library of the Ministry of Mining of Afghanistan.
After the withdrawal of the Soviet Union, some other documents were taken to Russia.
Even after this, the process of research and discovery on the natural resources of Afghanistan continued.
Four parts of Afghanistan's natural resources
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For example, a survey was conducted in the year 2007. After this, in 2011, the Geological Survey of Afghanistan and the US Geological Survey also conducted studies.
On the basis of these investigations, reserves of gold, copper, iron, aluminium, lead, zinc, tin, tungsten and mercury have been identified in Afghanistan. Apart from this, there are also oil and gas reserves in the country.
To prepare this report, documents and information available in the records of the Ministry of Mining of Afghanistan have been reviewed.
Reports, surveys and data from official and expert organizations working in the field of geology and mineral resources are also consulted.
Where differences were found in the data and estimates of different institutions, an attempt has been made to clarify the source and basis of each estimate.
This will ensure a clear distinction between proven reserves and estimates of potential mineral resources.
The report divides Afghanistan's natural resources into four parts:
1. Metals: Gold, copper, iron, aluminium, zinc, lead and other metals.
2. Precious stones: lapis lazuli, emerald, ruby and other stones.
3. Rare elements: Lithium, uranium and other elements.
4. Oil, gas and coal.
Part One: Metal Minerals
In this part, reserves of other basic metals including gold, iron, copper, aluminium, lead and zinc have been investigated. Their value is estimated to be more than one trillion dollars.
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Most of the gold mines in Afghanistan are in some areas of Badakhshan and Takhar.
Apart from this, reserves of 2,700 kg of pure gold have been identified in Zabul and Ghazni.
According to an estimate, the total gold reserves in Afghanistan are about 682 tonnes.
There are also some copper mines in the country in which gold is present. According to the current global price of gold, the value of proven reserves is about 107 billion dollars.
At present, gold mining is mainly taking place in Badakhshan province of Afghanistan.
Some time ago, Mohammad Younus Akhundzada, Water and Energy Minister of the Taliban government, had said that his government is extracting several tons of gold from Badakhshan every month.
There is a gold mine named 'Cha Aab' in Takhar province. It is estimated to have reserves of 31 tonnes of gold.
The contract for this mine has been given to two companies, China Afghanistan and Zarwar Afghanistan for five years.
This contract is worth 31 crore dollars. The Mining Ministry has fixed the government's share in the royalty received from the mine at 56 percent.
steel or iron
Afghanistan has the largest iron reserves in the region. It is estimated that this reserve is about three billion tonnes.
However, these figures are not final and may increase after further investigation.
So far, iron deposits have been identified in Bamiyan, Panjshir, Parwan, Herat, Kandahar, Badakhshan and Kabul provinces of Afghanistan.
Researchers have also prepared records of 72 iron ore mines and mineral deposits across the country.
The most important mines include Hajigak of Bamiyan, Tal and Nukra Khana of Panjshir, Jabal al-Siraj of Parwan, Palangsur of Herat, Haji Alam of Kandahar, Sayajir of Badakhshan and mines of Paghman area of Kabul.
In the last few years, the Mining Ministry of the Taliban government has awarded contracts for four blocks of iron deposits in the Ghoryan area of Herat province.
It is said that about 1.8 billion tons of iron is present in these reserves.
The total value of these contracts is $2.5 billion.
The price of iron ore in the global market is around $100 per ton. According to this, the estimated value of iron reserves in Afghanistan is more than 300 billion dollars.
Copper
Afghanistan has the largest copper reserves in the region.
In old estimates, the copper reserves in the country were said to be around three crore tonnes. In new reports it has been said to be six crore tonnes.
The price of one ton of copper in the global market is between 10 thousand to 12 thousand dollars.
According to this, the estimated value of Afghanistan's copper reserves can be up to 720 billion dollars.
Copper reserves have been identified in Logar, Herat, Zabul, Ghazni, Sarapul and Badghis provinces of Afghanistan.
The most important copper mine among these is the 'Aynak' mine present in Mohammad Aga district of Logar.
Aynak is considered to be the largest copper mine in Afghanistan and one of the largest copper reserves in Asia.
In the surveys conducted in the 1970s and 1980s, the copper reserves in this mine were said to be around 240 million tonnes.
Afghanistan's Mining Ministry had also said that 11.5 million tonnes of copper could be extracted from this mine, the value of which was about 50 billion dollars.
In 2008, an agreement worth $2.9 billion was signed with a Chinese company MCC to extract copper from the mine.
After the Taliban came back to power, the second Aynak copper mine, spread over 245 square kilometers, was leased to a private company, Tavar, for 30 years.
The company has promised to invest $411 million in this project and pay 12 percent royalty to the government.
aluminum
The most important reserves of aluminum in Afghanistan are in Zabul province. The potential quantity of these reserves is estimated to be around 11 million tonnes.
After iron, aluminum is the most used metal in the world. It has great importance in the fields of construction, transportation and technology.
The average price of aluminum in the global market is between three thousand to four thousand dollars per ton.
The total value of extractable aluminum reserves in Zabul, Kandahar and Baghlan is estimated to be more than $30 billion.
lead, zinc, tin, tungsten and mercury
Afghanistan also has important reserves of lead, zinc, tin, tungsten and mercury.
Kandahar has the country's largest lead and zinc reserves. Its quantity is estimated to be around 90 thousand tonnes.
Tin and tungsten reserves are also found in Kandahar.
The Taliban government has also awarded contracts for lead and zinc mines in Bamiyan and Ghor. The contract for the mine in Ghor province is said to be worth $507 million.
The exact quantity of these mineral reserves has not been known yet. This requires further investigation.
The reserves of mercury in south-western Afghanistan are estimated to be around 32 thousand tonnes.
Part Two: Precious Stones
Afghanistan has long been known as an important center for precious stones, especially lapis lazuli, emeralds, rubies and garnets.
The main mines of these precious stones are in Badakhshan, Panjshir, Kunar, Nuristan and Kabul.
Lapis lazuli of Badakhshan and emerald of Panjshir are famous internationally.
However, the exact extent of precious stone reserves in Afghanistan is not yet known. The value of these stones in the international market is estimated to be up to billions of dollars.
marble
There are also reserves of marble in Afghanistan.
According to the country's Mining Ministry, Afghanistan is estimated to have 1.3 billion tons of marble.
According to Chinese experts, Afghanistan can earn $500 million annually just by exporting marble to China.
Part Three: Rare Earth Elements Worth More Than One Trillion Dollars
Afghanistan also has reserves of rare earth materials.
Afghanistan is estimated to have 14 lakh tonnes of rare earth elements.
Apart from this, there are reserves of 35 lakh tonnes of rare minerals including uranium in the Khanshin area of Helmand province.
The term rare earth metals is used for 17 chemical elements. They are used extensively in modern technology and industries.
These elements are essential for making smartphones, computers, medical equipment and many other industrial products.
Afghanistan also has large reserves of lithium, barite, asbestos, celestite, clay and potash.
Lithium has special importance among these. According to some estimates, the value of Afghanistan's lithium reserves could be up to one trillion dollars.
Lithium reserves have been formally identified in Afghanistan's Ghazni, Farah and Daykundi provinces. There is a possibility of finding it in other areas also.
It is estimated that the belt of lithium reserves in Afghanistan extends from Herat to Nuristan. Mining can be done here for decades.
This can include Afghanistan among the countries with large reserves of this important mineral resource.
Apart from these minerals, Afghanistan also exports talc.
Fourth Part: Oil, Gas and Coal
Afghanistan also has large reserves of gas.
It is estimated that the country has reserves of about 1.6 billion barrels of oil and 500 billion cubic meters of natural gas.
Afghanistan's most important oil and gas reserves are in the Amu Darya and Afghan-Tajik Basin. These extend to parts of Balkh, Jawzjan, Faryab, Sarapul and Samangan provinces.
Apart from this, there are also oil and gas reserves in western and southern Afghanistan. These include Herat-Tripoli Basin, Helmand Basin and Katwaz Basin.
These natural resources can play an important role in the economic development of Afghanistan and are among the main sources of energy of the country.
After gaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban government announced in July 2023 that it had increased the country's daily oil production to 1,200 tons.
This is about 10 percent of Afghanistan's total oil requirement. The country is estimated to require 8,000 to 10,000 tonnes of oil every day.
Afghanistan needs about 27 lakh tonnes of oil every year. A large part of it is imported.
A 2019 official report by Afghanistan's mining ministry said the country's oil reserves and wells held about 1.6 billion barrels of crude oil, 1.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 500 million barrels of liquefied natural gas.
A joint assessment of America and Afghanistan was also cited in this report.
According to this, the current price of Afghanistan's crude oil alone is around 107 billion dollars.
Coal
Coal reserves in Afghanistan are said to be around one billion tonnes. The quality of this coal is also considered good.
Afghanistan's main coal reserves extend from Badakhshan to Herat. It passes through Takhar, Kunduz, Baghlan, Samangan, Balkh, Sarapul, Bamiyan, Daykundi, Jawzjan and Badghis.
So far, more than 113 coal mines and mineral reserves have been identified in the country.
Of these, 18 mines are estimated to have more than 847 million tonnes of coal.
Coal is one of the most important mineral resources of Afghanistan. Its famous mines are in Samangan, Bamiyan, Takhar, Baghlan, Herat and Sarapul.
Afghanistan exported more than $1.1 billion of coal in the first four years after the Taliban returned to power. It has become a major source of income for the country.
Pakistan, Iran, Türkiye, India and China are the major buyers of coal from Afghanistan.
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