Saudi Arabia’s Delta Energy Group on Monday signed landmark agreements with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum covering oil and gas exploration across approximately 9,000 square miles (23,317 square kilometers) in western Afghanistan.
The agreements also include a natural gas utilization study in Herat and plans for a proposed 435-mile (700-kilometer) gas pipeline, in a deal that could pave the way for billions of dollars in future investment. The agreements were signed in Kabul on Monday in the presence of former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, whose participation added a notable geopolitical dimension to the investment deal with Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities.
Delta Energy is a Saudi-based independent energy group involved in oil and gas exploration, natural gas, pipelines, and energy infrastructure.
According to Afghan media reports, under the main agreement, Delta Energy will explore the Kushk-Tirpul contract area in western Herat province, covering approximately 9,000 square miles (23,317 square kilometers).
The company plans to carry out geological and geophysical studies, seismic surveys, exploratory drilling, and reservoir evaluations to determine the scale and commercial viability of hydrocarbon resources in the area. The company will also finance a study examining the use of natural gas in Herat, including supplies for the Herat Industrial Park, Herat city, and other approved areas. The study will assess possible applications in industry, electricity generation, and other energy requirements.
A separate agreement establishes a framework for studying a proposed 435-mile (700-kilometer) gas pipeline, which Delta describes as the “CentGas–Corridor of Prosperity.”
The proposed route would connect a gas receipt point near Guzara district in Herat with a delivery point near Spin Boldak in Kandahar, potentially creating a new domestic and regional energy corridor.
Delta estimates that the proposed pipeline alone could require about $10 billion in investment over a decade.
Afghanistan’s acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum Hedayatullah Badri, described the agreement as an important step toward developing the country’s hydrocarbon resources, saying cooperation with Delta could help improve energy security and support economic activity.
Khalilzad, who served as the US special envoy for Afghanistan and later as the US special representative for Afghan peace negotiations, welcomed the agreement during the signing ceremony.
He said Afghanistan had significant natural resources and a strategic geographic position that could help connect Central and South Asia, describing the agreement as a significant development for the country.
His presence at the ceremony is particularly notable because Khalilzad has remained engaged with Afghanistan’s political and economic affairs since leaving official US government service. His appearance alongside senior Taliban officials and executives of the Saudi energy group highlights the increasingly business-oriented engagement taking place around Afghanistan’s natural resources, even as the Taliban government remains diplomatically isolated from much of the international community.
Multiple outlets reported that Khalilzad, now a private citizen with no official US government role, attended high-level meetings with Taliban Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar and Delta executives, as well as the signing ceremony.
His presence has raised questions about his role, including whether he helped arrange or influence the agreements and why a former senior US envoy attended deals covering about 9,000 square miles of Afghanistan.
