OREANDA-NEWS. March 31, 2009. Turkmenistan has launched the initiative on construction of the integrated gas transportation system that will allow closing the richest deposits in Turkmenistan in the ‘blue ring’. That is the aim of the East-West Project initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the international tender for design and construction of this gas pipeline recently announced by Turkmengaz State Concern.

This very promising and strategically important in all respects project, undoubtedly, can be regarded as an exceptionally timely step taken by Turkmenistan to enhance national and global energy security in compliance with its large-scale plans to diversify transit of energy to international markets. Thus, having put forward the initiative to ensure reliable and stable transnational supply of hydrocarbon resources Turkmenistan, in its turn, takes the concrete measures to fill it with the practical content demonstrating a very constructive and integrated approach to the challenge the whole mankind faces nowadays.

The new gas pipeline with the annual capacity of 30 billion cubic metres will become a cementing component, the backbone of the diversified gas transportation system, which will allow ‘the gas vessels’ to interconnect and supplement one another redirecting ‘the blue flow’ in a required direction. This factor serves as an additional guarantee of uninterrupted supply of resources to the transnational pipelines Turkmenistan as a world’s ‘blue fuel’ exporter intends to build in the near future.

The grandiose projects provides for construction of the pipeline 800-1,000 km long and required ground-based infrastructure to ensure the effective functioning of the pipeline. In particularly, the gas-compressor stations will be built at each 100-130 km of the pipeline to maintain the necessary pressure in pipes along the whole length of the steel route.

It should be noted that the potential partners –the foreign large companies and firms have expressed the willingness to participate in the tender. This interest is conditioned particularly by that the Southern Yoloten deposit recognized as the greatest discovery over the past ten years on the energy map of the world will be the main ‘donor’ of the future gas main line. As is known the results of the independent audit carried out by world-renowned British Gaffney, Cline & Associates officially ranks this giant deposit among the top four natural gas deposits of universal value that even more enhanced Turkmenistan’s reputation as one of the world’s energy producers. The proved gas reserves are another evidence of that Turkmenistan has the substantial reserves to meet its contractual commitments. Moreover, the Turkmen state provides the necessary guarantees for foreign investors, who can actively collaborate in a number of the large-scale energy projects including construction of gas pipelines on an equal footing.

The very promising fields of international cooperation include gas chemistry that the President of Turkmenistan defined as a vector of development of Turkmenistan’s fuel and energy sector. In particular, it concerns the increase of the capacity to produce liquefied gas which is highly demanded on world markets. Turkmenistan intends to substantially increase export of liquefied gas through completing the large-scale transport and communication projects initiated by the Turkmen leader such as the North-South transport corridor and regular railway and ferry communication on the Caspian Sea with the neighbouring countries. Thus, the East-West Project will foster the plans on development of the gas chemical infrastructure in the country.

It is important that promising substantial economic benefits to the participating countries as well as potential partners and transit countries this project has the social and economic aspects. Besides the orientation to export the project is aimed at satisfying completely the domestic needs, i.e. uninterrupted supply of gas to the towns and settlements throughout the country. Moreover, the project provides for development of the social infrastructure and creation of thousands of new jobs that will contribute to increasing the people’s welfare that is the ultimate goal of the national policy.