OREANDA-NEWS. April 15, 2010. The International Oil and Gas Exhibition was opened in the framework of I International Gas Congress of Turkmenistan at the Exhibition Centre. The cabinet ministers, the heads of the Mejlis and the diplomatic missions and representations accredited to Turkmenistan, journalists and numerous foreign guests took part in the opening ceremony.

It has become a tradition of the social and political life of hydrocarbon-rich Turkmenistan to conduct the international oil and gas exhibition in Ashgabat each year. A distinctive feature of this year’s exhibition is that it was conducted in the framework of I International Gas Congress of Turkmenistan that gave a powerful impetus to expand mutually advantageous cooperation in the fuel and energy sector.

Over 80 expositions presented by the Turkmen enterprises and firms and 48 companies from 28 countries of the world at the Exhibition Centre vividly illustrate a growing interest of the world business elite in enhancing partnership with Turkmenistan which was rightfully recognized as one of the world’s energy producers.

The welcoming statement of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to participants of the forum was presented during the opening ceremony. The Turkmen leader clearly identified the priorities for the development of the strategic sector of the fuel and energy sector and the ways of mutually advantageous international cooperation.

Emphasizing that Turkmenistan put much effort to effectively use its profound resource and economic potential, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that “Turkmenistan pays particular attention to efficient hydrocarbon production and processing, application of state-of-the-art equipment and high technologies in industry, the technological level of gas industry and construction and reconstruction of gas pipelines.”

Noting that Turkmenistan rapidly enhanced the production potential of the gas sector, the President provided an example of the Southern Yoloten-Osman field. The state has invested USD 9.7 billion in this field which is developed in collaboration with a number of foreign companies. Putting this and other gas fields of the country on production will certainly promote increasing buyers of Turkmen natural gas in number and intensify the involvement of foreign investments in the leading sectors of the national economy.

Wishing fruitful exchange of views and information to participants of the International Exhibition and the Gas Congress, the Turkmen leader expressed belief that the forum would have a positive impact on further intensification of the ongoing activities aimed at diversifying the routes of stable, reliable and long-term transit of energy to world markets, concluding new contracts in this field.

The organizers – the Turkmengaz State Concern and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan created all conditions so that participants and visitors could receive the comprehensive information about the impressive achievements of the dynamically developing oil and gas industry of Turkmenistan and the ways to further enhance the potential of the Turkmen fuel and energy sector in collaboration with leading international partners.

The Turkmengaz State Concern, the Turkmennebit State Concern, the Turkmennebitgazgurlusik State Concern, the Turkmenhimiya State Concern, the Turkmengeologiya State Corporation, the leading petrochemical enterprise in Turkmenistan – Turkmenbashi oil refineries, the Turkmenturba plant, Turkmennebitonumleri and other enterprises of the country are represented at the forum.

The leading international oil and gas and service companies from China, Russia, Germany, Italy and France, Britain, Poland, the United States, Turkey, Iran, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Malaysia other countries presented their products and services. These included the large oil and gas business companies such as CNPC, Stroytransgaz, Integra, M. Frunze Sumy Scientific Production Association, Komatsu LTD, Zeppelin and Nexus, which have been successfully collaborating with Turkmenistan for many years. Among the companies which are taking the first steps on the promising Turkmen market are Chevron (U.S.), Hyundai Engineering (South Korea), Drilling SPA (Italy) and some others.

The foreign companies intend to use the opportunities provided by this year’s exhibition to promote their services in deliveries of various equipment, advanced technologies for natural gas and oil exploration, production and processing and maintenance services. Furthermore, the framework of the Exhibition allows holding the talks directly with Turkmen oil and gas departments, discussing new opportunities to implement joint projects at developing efficiently abundant hydrocarbon resources and fostering the growth of the fuel and energy sector in Turkmenistan.