Groups led by Dragon Oil PLC and Turkey’s state Turkiye Petrolleri AO plan to explore two blocks in northwestern Afghanistan.
Formal signing of exploration and production-sharing contracts that govern the Sanduqli and Mazar-i-Sharif blocks from the Afghan-Tajik Phase 1 oil and gas tender occurred on Oct. 8.
Participating interests of Dragon Oil, TPAO, and the Ghazanfar Group in the two blocks are 40%, 40%, and 20%, respectively.
Dragon Oil will operate Sanduqli and TPAO is operator of Mazar-i-Sharif. Sanduqli covers 2,583 sq km bordering Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and Mazar-i-Sharif has 2,715 sq km adjoining Uzbekistan.
Work commitments in the initial 4-year exploration period include seismic acquisition and interpretation and drilling of two exploratory wells on each block.