The Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum announced that the contract for the exploration and extraction of the Mes Aynak copper mine in Logar province has been extended for another 15 years, TOLOnews reported.
This project was handed over to China’s MCC company 17 years ago, but significant progress in its extraction has yet to be made. Insecurity, the country’s past political situation, concerns over the destruction of historical artifacts at the mining site, and a lack of infrastructure such as electricity and railways have been cited as key reasons for the project’s delays.
The ministry told TOLOnews that to enable more effective and efficient copper extraction, the contract has been extended for 15 more years, increasing the total duration to 45 years.
Ministry spokesperson Homayoun Afghan stated: “Unfortunately, in the past 15 years under the previous administration, no work was done due to various issues. After the Islamic Emirate came to power, negotiations were held with the company to resume operations. To ensure proper survey and development of this mine in accordance with established principles and conditions, an additional 15 years has been granted by the Ministry.”
The ministry emphasized that with this extension, all core conditions of the contract remain unchanged.
These conditions include establishing copper processing factories inside Afghanistan, prioritizing Afghan labor, and protecting historical artifacts at the mining site.
According to geological studies, the Mes Aynak mine, considered one of the largest copper deposits in the region, holds reserves of 12 million tons and, if extracted properly, could turn Afghanistan into a significant global copper exporter.
