KABUL (Dispatches) — The Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Oil announced on Monday the successful auction of an 18,000-barrel shipment of crude oil, generating an estimated $10.5 million in revenue, according to local media reports.
The crude was extracted from the Qashqari area in the province of Velayat. Officials said the sale, completed last week, represents the second transaction of its kind as the Taliban administration seeks to capitalize on Afghanistan’s natural resources. The first shipment, drawn from the Amu district and sold on Nov. 10, earned approximately $4.5 million.
Since assuming power, the Taliban government has pursued policies to expand the extraction and commercialization of the country’s mineral wealth, seeking foreign investment and partnerships from countries including China and Russia to develop Afghanistan’s resource sector. However, progress in field development has remained limited.
Tensions have risen with Chinese firms over oil contracts. In August 2023, the Taliban signed an agreement with Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Co. for the extraction of oil in the Amu Darya River basin. Taliban officials later accused the company of breaching the contract, while some Chinese employees working for AfgChin Oil and Gas Ltd., a joint venture managing the oil wells, described the Taliban’s actions as “robbery.”
In June, the Taliban formally terminated the agreement, citing repeated contract violations by the Chinese firm. Hamaun Afghan, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, said the termination was approved by Taliban Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund.
The auction of the Qashqari shipment highlights the Taliban’s ongoing efforts to monetize Afghanistan’s energy resources despite logistical, technical, and contractual challenges. Analysts note that securing reliable foreign investment remains critical for the government’s strategy to develop the country’s energy sector.
The ministry did not provide details on buyers or the terms of the sale. This transaction follows broader efforts by the Taliban to stabilize revenues amid international isolation and sanctions, which have constrained the country’s economic recovery.