Officials from the Department of Mines and Petroleum in Ghor Province have announced the official launch of agate gemstone extraction in Pasaband District.
According to Abdul Hakim Hikmat, head of the provincial mining department, three agate mining blocks in the “Khoniyeh” area of Pasaband District have been contracted to two domestic companies, and extraction activities have now formally begun.
He said that one of the blocks was awarded through a competitive bidding process at a rate of 1.6 million Afghanis (approximately 21,000–23,000 USD) per ton of agate stone. The remaining two blocks were allocated under contractual agreements, with a 10 percent royalty fee to be paid by the extracting companies.
Officials from the mining companies stated that extraction operations will be carried out in accordance with technical standards and modern equipment to ensure efficient and regulated production.
Abdul Bari Khonjani, a representative of Zarar Company, said the launch of mining operations will not only create job opportunities for local residents but will also facilitate the supply of high-quality gemstones to both national and international markets.
According to the Ghor Department of Mines and Petroleum, 172 mines have been registered in the province so far, of which 11 have been contracted to private companies for survey and extraction activities.
