Afghanistan’s Untapped Mineral Resources Worth Over $3 Trillion

.. by Ahmad Shafai

Afghanistan is believed to have natural resources worth more than $3 trillion. These include oil, natural gas, metal ores and many other valuable minerals.

For decades, Afghanistan has been known as a country with a weak economy but enormous natural wealth. A large part of these resources still lies underground and has not yet been extracted. There have also been different estimates about the actual quantity and value of these mineral reserves.

To understand how valuable these resources could be, consider this example: if Afghanistan had $3 trillion available and its annual government and development budget was around $10 billion, the country could theoretically meet its financial needs for nearly 300 years without depending on foreign financial assistance.

The purpose of this report is to provide a clearer picture of Afghanistan’s mineral wealth, where these resources are located across different provinces, and what their officially estimated values are.

BBC Fact Check examined known mineral deposits and mining activities in different provinces. The research looked at which minerals are found in different areas, the current state of mining operations, and their estimated value based on available figures.

Large-scale research into Afghanistan’s mineral resources first began during the former Soviet Union’s presence in the country. These studies included geological mapping of different regions, examination of rocks and underground layers, aerial surveys and exploration for mineral deposits.

Some of these research documents are still preserved in the library of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines, while others were moved to Russia following the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Research into Afghanistan’s natural resources continued in later years. For example, another survey was conducted in 2007. In 2011, both the Afghanistan Geological Survey and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) also carried out studies to assess the country’s mineral potential. .. Source