Afghan oil exploration dates back to the 1950s, when Afghan and Soviet experts conducted a topographical and geological survey in the northern Afghan provinces. The Afghan government, with Soviet assistance, began producing crude oil, and the bloc was importing 80% of the production of the natural gas field in the city of Sheberghan.
Most of the Afghan oil and gas fields were discovered in the 1970s during exploration projects led by the Soviets. Afghan Ministry of Mines estimated in 2011 that northern Afghanistan contains 1.95 billion barrels of oil.