Contract Signed for Exploration and Extraction of the Kushk–Tirpul Oil Block

In the presence of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy PM for Economic Affairs, a contract for the exploration and extraction of the Kushk–Tirpul oil basin was signed today, Monday, September 7, 2026, at the Government Media and Information Center between the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia’s Delta International Company.
The signing ceremony was attended by Alhaj Mullah Hidayatullah Badri, Minister of Mines and Petroleum; Noor Ahmad Agha, Governor of Da Afghanistan Bank; Mawlawi Zabihullah Mujahid, Spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate; Shaher Al-Taqi, Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Arabia’s Delta International Company; and Zalmay Khalilzad, former Special Representative of the United States for Afghanistan.
Under the contract, the company will initially invest $200 million in the exploration and extraction of seven gas blocks in the Kushk area of the Kushk–Tirpul oil basin.
The Kushk–Tirpul oil basin is located between Herat and Badghis provinces and covers an area of approximately 22,000 square kilometers.