Deputy Prime Minister’s office for Economic Affairs announced that Afghanistan has officially launched exploration and extraction at the Toti Mazar gas fields in Jowzjan province under a contract with an Uzbek company.
At the inauguration ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said the project will create thousands of jobs, substantially meet domestic gas demand, reduce reliance on imported gas and electricity, and gradually pave the way for gas exports.
Minister of Mines and Petroleum Mullah Hidayatullah Badri, speaking at a ceremony in Mazar-e-Sharif, stated that the project is expected to generate 100 megawatts of electricity within its first two years.
He added that the 25-year contract includes nearly one billion dollars in planned investment over the first ten years.
Badri further noted that the Toti Mazar gas field covers roughly 7,000 square kilometers, with plans to drill 30 wells for gas extraction.