Oil and Gas Law (Hydrocarbons Law).

The Law sets provisions to regulate oil and gas resources and industry in the country. The Law consists of 87 articles, divided into 9 Chapters: General Provisions (I); Responsibilities (II); Structure and Competencies (III); Field of Operation (IV); Upstream Oil and Gas Operation (V); Midstream Oil and Gas Operation (VI); Downstream Oil and Gas Operation (VII); Taxes (VIII); Final Provisions (IX).
The main objectives of this Law include: to manage and control oil and gas resources; to regulate oil and gas operations; to protect and efficiently exploit oil and gas resources; to facilitate investment of private sector in oil and gas industry.
The Afghanistan Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority is the authority responsible to implement the provisions of this Law. All oil and gas resources, in surface or underground, are owned by the Government. Any oil and gas operation in the country requires permission of the government officials. The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum is responsible to enact and implement national policies on upstream and midstream oil and gas operations and to prepare model form contracts for such operations. Policies on downstream oil and gas operations shall be drafted by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The Law requires Afghanistan Oil and Gas Regulatory to prepare Afghanistan oil and gas map based on international standards.