Turkmen government summarizes major gas projects

Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Jan. 3 / Trend H.Hasanov/ The development of hydrocarbon resources was discussed at the last governmental meeting in Turkmenistan in 2011, the Turkmen official source reported on Saturday. Deputy Prime Minister supervising Turkmen fuel-energy complex Baimurat Hojamuhammedov made a report on the oil and gas complex, as well as the implementation of a number of major investment projects in the supervised spheres. The matter rests in the development of Galkynysh field. It ranks second in the world. The raw material is supplied to China via one of the most extensive gas pipelines through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. President Berdymuhamedov stressed a number of priority tasks designed to fully use a huge resource potential of the basic sphere of national economy given the plans envisaged in the long-term program of development of domestic fuel and energy sector, as well as Turkmen obligations to foreign partners till 2030. The importance of effective organization of work carried out in this area and strict control over the implementation of action plan was emphasized. Turkmenistan is one of key suppliers of natural gas in the Caspian region. It hopes to expand this fuel delivery to new world markets - Europe, Pakistan and India. At present, the Turkmen gas is exported to China, Iran and Russia. According to the program of development of Turkmen oil and gas industry, it is planned to increase annual natural gas production up to 230 billion cubic meters, most for export in 2030. The proven natural gas resources are estimated at 25.213 trillion cubic meters in Turkmenistan as of Oct 1, 2011. Most part (more than 70 percent) is located in Mary region in a chain of fields including Southern Yoloten - Osman (it was renamed as "Galkynysh" - "Independence") and Yashlar with total resources of 19.050 trillion cubic meters. Other resources are located in other parts of the country. Turkmengas State Concern deals with the industrial development of Galkynysh. It signed the service contracts worth $9.7 billion with Gulf Oil & Gas Fze, Petrofac International LLC (UAE), CNPC Chuanging Drilling Engineering Company (China) and LG Internatinal Cоrp and Hyudai Engineering consortium (South Korea) in Dec.2009. The Chinese CNPC launched a gas pipeline to China in 2009. It deals with the development on the right bank of Amudarya in the Bitaraplyk field. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az