Page "Economy of Afghanistan" Paragraph 24

Afghanistan's important resource in the past has been natural gas, which was first tapped in 1967.

During the 1980s, gas sales accounted for $ 300 million a year in export revenues ( 56 % of the total ).

90 % of these exports went to the Soviet Union to pay for imports and debts.

However, during the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, Afghanistan's natural gas fields were capped to prevent sabotage by the Mujahideen.

Gas production has dropped from a high of 8. 2 million cubic metres per day in the 1980s to a low of about 600, 000 cubic meters in 2001.

After the formation of the new Karzai administration, production of natural gas has been restored again.

A locally owned company, Azizi Hotak General Trading Group, is currently the main supplier of diesel fuel, gasoline, jet fuel and LPG in Afghanistan.

In December 2011, Afghanistan signed an oil exploration contract with China National Petroleum Corporation ( CNPC ) for the development of three oil fields along the Amu Darya river.

Afghanistan will have its first oil refineries within the next three years, after which it will receive 70 % of the profits from the sale of the oil and natural gas.