US oil company team holds talks with Taliban on exploration plan

KABUL, Feb 14 (AFP) - A team from US oil company Unocal ended Saturday a four-day visit here during which they held talks with Taliban authorities on prospects for oil and gas exploration in Afghanistan, officials said. The visit was in response to a Taliban proposal that Unocal examine possibiliies for exploration, inspect scientific installations and collect data and soil samples, said Afghan Oil Company chief, Mandarkhel (eds: one name). Some surveys conducted by other companies in the past showed that areas around Ghazni, Kandahar, Farah and Herat had potential oil and gas recources, he said. Mandarkhel said the Taliban government proposed that Unocal experts carry out a survey for undertaking oil and gas exploration in the areas. The four-member mission had detailed discussions with the Taliban government minister for mines and industries and other officials, he said. Last December a Taliban delegation visited the United States at the invitation of Unocal. Mandarhkel said the team's visit was not linked to a planned project to build a pipeline from Turkmenistan to transmit natural gas to Pakistan via Afghanistan. He said negotiations about the gas pipeline project were still in progress with Unocal and Argentine-led consortium Bridas, which are competing for the contract. "As far as we are concerned a decision has not yet been taken," he said, adding that the Taliban government would go for a deal that offered more advantages. A draft agreement has been received from Bridas and Unocal is expected to provide its document by the end of April, he said. Mandarkhel, who has been involved in the negotiations along with other Taliban officials, said a deal on the gas pipeline would be finalised by the end of this year.