Documents seen by TOLOnews show that a private company has imported 60 tankers of lower-quality gas from Azerbaijan and the imported gas is in customs at the Torghundi crossing in the western province of Herat. 

The documents show that the imported gas does not match any requirements for Afghanistan. Officials said the tankers have arrived at the Torghundi customs over the last few days, but they have not assessed it so far.

According to the officials, the lower-quality gas that has been imported by the private company Omran Shukran is “dangerous” for use and they will prevent its entry into the country. 

Afghanistan’s standards for imported gas requires that its butane level should be between 60 to 70 percent, while it should have 30 to 40 percent of propane in its composition, but a quality test from the imported gas shows that the gas has 10 percent propane and its butane is at zero percent, according to officials.  

“The norms and standard authority assesses gas and fuel at the borders and if the imported fuel is lower-quality they reject it and if it is approved it is allowed to enter the country,” said Jailani Farhad, spokesman for the Herat governor.  

“The issue of 60 tankers of gas has not been referred to us so far,” said Khyber Musmir, head of Norms and Standards Office in Herat. 

The company has purchased 700 tankers of gas from Azerbaijan and wants to import it to the country in the coming days. 

“If the lower quality gas enters Herat, it will get the attention of those who work honestly in the market,” said Abdullah Dashti, the deputy head of Herat's Chamber of Commerce and Investment. 

The importer company’s officials did not comment despite multiple attempts.