Background

The USGS has been assisting the GOA since 2002 in developing a comprehensive national oil and gas assessment. In 2005 USGS announced the findings of their assessment and the geology was quite encouraging. USGS estimates that potential resources are nine times that originally assessed by the Soviet Union. To follow-up this positive assessment, the USGS approached MMS approximately three years ago requesting our assistance in building Government of  Afghanistan (GOA) competencies in developing oil and gas resources in a prudent and transparent manner, while allowing U.S. companies open access to the future Afghanistan market. This effort has been supported from the highest levels of the United States Government (USG). U.S. policy as stated by the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, and the Afghanistan Reconstruction Group (ARG), is to assist the GOA in producing their resources to provide for the sustained economic development of the nation and its people. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) is in a position to assist the GOA toward greater institutional and capacity building by adopting a system that is open and transparent to world markets and allows for greater oil and gas diversification of supply which is ultimately a key U.S. foreign energy policy objective.

Past Activities

	At USGS’s request, the Bureau hosted the Afghanistan Minister of Mining and Industry (MMI) Dr. Mohammed Sediq, as well as several other senior Afghan officials in March 2005. The delegation visited both Herndon as well as attended the lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico Region.
	May 2006 Bureau Scoping and Needs Assessment Visit to Kabul where USGS agreed to fund 3 to 4 training activities for the MMI.
	First TA workshop conducted in January 2007 on the Bureau's’ tendering and resource evaluation system. Incorporated in this effort was an interactive simulated lease sale based upon the Bureau's system for tendering.

Planned Activities

Second TA workshop on the management of field operation and regulatory enforcement through inspection has twice been postponed. Current plans are to conduct the workshop in Tbilisi, Georgia where both the geology and the scope and interest of the oil and gas industry are similar to those in Afghanistan. This activity is currently scheduled for mid-October 2007. Training in Afghanistan has also become difficult to logistical considerations at the Embassy and the ongoing security instability.

Future Activities

	USGS has agreed in principal to conduct at least one more workshop with the MMI. It is hoped that BOEMRE can assist the MMI in tendering a one or more prospective blocks in the Tajik basin where industry has already expressed an interest to explore.
	USGS would also like the BOEMRE to assist the MMI is in establishing the technical and administrative competencies required for a modern day oil and gas regulatory body.

Countries in the International Activities Program