The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has permitted two more oil and gas companies to carry out operations in Afghanistan, under Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA). Admore Gas (Pvt) Ltd, an oil marketing company in Pakistan, and Tryco, a US Company, have been allowed to carry out their operations in Afghanistan under ATTA, sources in the Ministry told Business Recorder on Thursday.
Both these companies would carry out handling, storage and marketing of POL products in Afghanistan, as Shell Pakistan has already been exporting lubricants to Afghanistan since January 2003, they added. Admore has 120 oil filling sites, and nearly 350 additional sites are very close to open, while about 100 sites are ready for installation of CNG equipment.
Tryco has been operating in Afghanistan for the last three years and is now a leading importer of petrol, diesel and aviation fuel to be used by government departments, Coalition forces, international organisations, some airlines and other large customers.
The company is also the exclusive agent in Afghanistan of Pakistan State Oil Company (PSO) and is considering to build a private refinery to produce petroleum products from imported and even Afghan crude oil.
Attock Petroleum Ltd began exporting lubricants to Afghanistan in 2003. The products include petrol, kerosene, aviation fuels, diesel and bitumen, and it reportedly supplied most of the bitumen for the Kabul-Kandahar highway. It is also constructing two petrol pumping stations in Jalalabad and has plans for two storage facilities, one in Jalalabad and one in Kabul.
The Afghan Investment Support Agency (AISA) has 21 registered importers of fuel, 12 of which are Afghan companies, three are Iranian, two are Afghan-American, and one Afghan-Pakistani.