Oil in Afghanistan

[holden]

We're not going anywhere for a long while.

Survey finds oil in Afghanistan
(UKPA)

A preliminary survey has found that Afghanistan may have 1.8 billion barrels of oil in the north of the country, an official said.
The survey by Afghan and international geologists found the possible oil field between Balkh and Jawzjan provinces, Mines Ministry spokesman Jawad Omar said.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukp...NDKInlcdawq-JA

Afghanistan says finds 1.8 billion barrel oilfield
By Sayed SalahuddinPosted 2010/08/15

KABUL, Aug. 15, 2010 (Reuters) — Afghanistan said on Sunday it had discovered an oilfield with an estimated 1.8 billion barrels in the north of the war-ravaged country, where U.S. and other foreign forces are trying to tame a Taliban-led insurgency.

The discovery of the basin between northern Balkh and Shiberghan provinces was made after a survey conducted by Afghan and international geologists, said Jawad Omar, a spokesman for the ministry of mines.

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre...stan-oilfield/

[icarus]

Originally Posted by holden

We're not going anywhere for a long while.

Unless the price of oil skyrockets, I'm pretty sure the costs of developing from scratch a petroleum industry in the most volatile country in the world will mitigate against sticking around for Afghanistan any longer than is already necessary.

[VladtheImpaler]

This sets up the interesting scenario of Afghanistan splintering into 2 - the oil-rich, Turkmen, pro-Western North, and the poppy-rich, Pushtun, Taliban-run south..........

[WilsonFourTwo]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

This sets up the interesting scenario of Afghanistan splintering into 2 - the oil-rich, Turkmen, pro-Western North, and the poppy-rich, Pushtun, Taliban-run south..........

Agreed, but you forgot the third group......the Canadian soldiers (and others) who continue to die for no apparent reason or obvious gain. IMO, we can't get out of that country fast enough.

[killer_carlson]

this is actually great news. For a land locked extremely poor nation, this discover provides at least some hope of an economy that isn't 100% driven on the drug trade or international charity.

Now if we could only convince them to allow their women to get educated....

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

this is actually great news. For a land locked extremely poor nation, this discover provides at least some hope of an economy that isn't 100% driven on the drug trade or international charity.

Now if we could only convince them to allow their women to get educated....

You must have missed the reports last month that said they had discovered some pretty monstrous mineral deposits in Afghanistan. IIRC they have the biggest lithium reserves now

[burn_this_city]

1.8 billion barrels isnt much. I'm sure the conspiracy theorists will assume the US knew the oil was there all along.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

this is actually great news. For a land locked extremely poor nation, this discover provides at least some hope of an economy that isn't 100% driven on the drug trade or international charity.

Now if we could only convince them to allow their women to get educated....

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Af...747/story.html

Afghanistan was always going to be a generational project, perhaps more than 20-25 years.

Now with oil, we can say it's a country of Jethro Clampett's.

Cowperson

[WilsonFourTwo]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

1.8 billion barrels isnt much. I'm sure the conspiracy theorists will assume the US knew the oil was there all along.

^^lol

The conspiracy theorists tend to think the invasion was done to build the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline (which has yet to be started due to the war).

Agreed about it not being much though. 1.8 Billion puts them in 32nd in the world. Canada literally has 100x as much.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/en...y-oil-reserves

I doubt anyone will be exploiting the resources for quite some time, and I would venture a guess that Europe, USA and Russia will have almost nothing to do with it when it does happen.

With all the drugs and oil, Afghanistan will eventually feed more western vices than Las Vegas!

[Azure]

Great news.

Along with their incredible mineral deposits, this should help develop their economy.

Time for American owned oil companies to go over there and develop the region.