Oct 25, 2010. Afghanistan is estimated to be sitting on $3 trillion worth of untapped mineral deposits, but poor infrastructure and investor caution are inhibiting development of its mining industry, its mines minister said. It’s based only on 30% of the country’s area.

Afghanistan’s Mining Ministry has announced the discovery of a huge new oil field, one that could be ten times the size of the nation’s 150 million barrels of previously known reserves.

KABUL. The Afghan mines minister is calling for increased government efforts to stop the illegal trading of Afghanistan’s mineral wealth, RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan reports.