Saudi Energy Giant Seals Billions-Worth Deals with Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan

Saudi Arabia's Delta Energy Group has made significant strides in Afghanistan by signing landmark agreements for oil and gas exploration across approximately 9,000 square miles (23,317 square kilometers) in western Afghanistan.

The agreements, signed on Monday in Kabul, include a natural gas utilization study in Herat and plans for a proposed 435-mile (700-kilometer) gas pipeline, dubbed the 'CentGas, Corridor of Prosperity.'

Delt Energy will explore the Kushk-Tirpul contract area and conduct geological and geophysical studies to determine the scale and commercial viability of hydrocarbon resources in the area.

The proposed pipeline could require about $10 billion in investment over a decade, according to Delta estimates.