OREANDA-NEWS. October 18, 2010. The ceremony of putting the Central Karakum-Yylanly gas pipeline into operation took place in Darvaza settlement in Ruhabat Etrap, Ahal Velayat. The gas pipeline was built in the shortest possible period of time from the very heart of one of the largest deserts in the world and connected to the network of export gas arteries of the country.

This gas pipeline is fed with ‘blue fuel’ extracted in the Central Karakum group of fields (Zyakli-Darvaza). Riches kept in underground warehouses are actively developed today, in the epoch of new Revival and fundamental reforms. Their potential is used for the benefit of the economy of our country as well as peoples of many other countries in compliance with the strategy for diversifying transit of energy pursued by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

Many people gathered together in the locality where the new gas artery starts nearby the newly built industrial facility in Darvaza settlement in Central Karakum, the primary gas treatment unit. ‘Blue fuel’ from neighbouring deposits is supplied there along numerous trails of gas pipelines.

Ceremony participants included high-ranking officials of oil and gas departments and ministries, builders of the new gas treatment unit and gas pipeline, the elders and journalists.

The gas pipeline 198.2 kilometres long with pipes 720 mm in diameter was built according to the Resolution of the President of Turkmenistan of February 20, 2009. The Resolution authorizes the Turkmengaz State Concern to conclude the contract worth USD 176.6 million with the Russian company MRK-Engineering affiliated with the Itera International group of companies.

The new gas pipeline connected the fields ready for commercial development in the Central Karakum with the existing network of trunk gas pipelines Central Asia-Centre-2 (CAC) and Khiva-Beyneu nearby the Yylanly gas compressor station, which was put into operation with the participation of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in April 2007.

It should be noted that the Zyakli-Darvaza-Yylanly gas pipeline is of priority importance in terms of transit of ‘blue fuel’ to world markets as well as gas supplies to domestic consumers. In particular, the gas pipeline will enable to increase Turkmen natural gas exports to Russia. Its rate of flow is 3 billion cubic metres at the first stage and will be increased up to 5 billion cubic metres of ‘blue fuel’ a year.

The new gas pipeline will become an additional route for natural gas to Ruhabat Etrap in Ahal Velayat and several etraps in Dashoguz Velayat. It will provide an important opportunity to supply gas to new settlements, which will be established in virgin lands throughout Dashoguz Velayat.

This April President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov made a working trip to one of the construction sites of the Zyakli-Darvaza group of fields to see the progress in construction of facilities in these gas fields. Commercial development of deposits discovered many years ago has been considered unprofitable for a long time due to their remoteness from one another and the existing network of trunk gas pipelines. However, as steadily growing demand for natural gas on world markets as well as modern effective technologies for developing hydrocarbon resources applied by specialists of the Turkmengaz State Concern in the epoch of new Revival have made it possible to design and implement the cost efficient project aimed at developing and bringing gas deposits in the Central Karakum with the total proven reserves estimated at approximately 67 billion cubic metres into service. It is expected that up to 3 billion cubic metres a year will be extracted there.

Under the project foreseeing the construction of field facilities in this group of deposits Turkmengaz specialists have performed large-scale work in this region. To date, they have built a number of infrastructure facilities including the gas-measuring station, gas cooling unit, gas condensate collection unit, gas condensate reservoirs and laid pipes, which supply gas condensate to a railway station.

The most important facilities in the new gas filed include the primary gas treatment unit with the capacity of 3 million cubic metres a year. It comprises three processing lines, two of them are operational and one is a booster line. The capacity of each line is 5 million cubic metres a day.

Thus, the Zyakli-Darvaza-Yylanly gas pipeline and developed fields of the Zyakli-Darvaza group comprise the modern complex of production and gas transportation infrastructure facilities, which is an essential component of the Turkmen oil and gas sector.

As is known, in Turkmenistan the measures to enhance the production and economic potential of the fuel and energy sector are taken in compliance with the key priorities of the national energy policy initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov who pays particular attention to the issues of international cooperation global energy security and diversification of gas export routes.

At the recent government meeting Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the particular significance of the gas pipeline in the Central Karakum noting that this project was a striking illustration of mutually advantageous cooperation between Turkmenistan and Russia. Noting that both countries viewed energy partnership as strategic, the Turkmen leader said that Russian companies collaborated actively in implementing a number of investment projects in the oil and gas sector, in particular aimed at developing gas transportation infrastructure in Turkmenistan that was based on the need to increase exports of Turkmen natural gas to world markets.

The Turkmen state that ranks among the top four countries with the world’s largest proven gas reserves rightfully views diversification of natural gas exports to world markets as its strategic priority. The implementation of these plans based on mutual interests is done step by step to meet a demand for Turkmen natural gas on world markets.

Today, natural gas supplies to Russia are not any more the only way for exports of Turkmen ‘blue fuel’ on the Eurasian continent as it used to be before. As is known, the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline, which opened the flood-gates for Turkmen natural gas to one of the most promising markets on the continent, was put into operation in December 2009. The Trans-Asian gas pipeline called the 21st century project will ensure reliable supply of dozens of billion of cubic metres of Turkmen natural gas to the Celestine Empire for 30 years.

That China assigns a strategic role in supplying ‘blue fuel’ to its consumers to Turkmenistan is illustrated by the fact that during the talks, which took place in Ashgabat this June, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and a Member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China He Guoqiang reached an agreement to draft the new contract aiming to increase Turkmen gas exports to the People’s Republic of China and harmonized the issues related to the construction of a new branch line of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline.

In order to increase gas exports to the Islamic Republic of Iran the Turkmengaz State Concern built on the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and put the second pipeline into operation this January at the earliest possible date. The new gas artery Dovletabat-Serahs-Hangeran with the estimated capacity of 12.5 billion cubic metres a year and the existing gas pipeline Korpeje-Kurt Kuyi built some years ago will enable to increase gas exports to Iran up to 20 billion cubic metres a year.

Moreover, the possibilities for construction of other international gas arteries are expired today. EU member states and countries of Southern Asia, which are also interested in diversifying export routes and ensuring reliable and stable transit of energy, figure as the potential buyers of Turkmen ‘blue fuel’

The substantial progress made for several past months in implementing the project of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline (TAPI) testified to the high demand for Turkmen ‘blue fuel’ on world energy markets. A powerful impetus to promote it was offered during Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s state visit to India this May. A focus of the Turkmen-Indian top level meeting was the possibilities for accelerating the TAPI gas pipeline project.

Focusing on the relevance and global significance of the TAPI gas pipeline project, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasizes that the implementation of this project will not only bring commercial benefits to participating countries but also greatly promote sustainable socio-economic development and enhance peace and stability in the Asian region. It should be noted that the Turkmen leader’s approaches are unconditionally supported at the highest international level.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasizes that Turkmenistan intends to implement its profound resource potential not only in national interests but also stands ready to use it for the benefit and progress of all peoples on the planet and in the name of global stability and security. The Turkmen leader’s well thought-out energy policy aimed at diversifying energy exports and implementing the projects of multivector transit of energy to world markets serves this purpose.

Ranking among hydrocarbon-rich countries in the world, Turkmenistan resolutely enhances its reputation on the world arena as a dependable natural gas exporter as well as plays the role of the centre concerting global efforts to achieve energy security all over the world

This is that numerous initiatives put forward by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at the session of the UN General Assembly are aimed at. In 2008 on the initiative of the Turkmen state the UN general Assembly adopted the resolution on the Reliable and Stable Transit of Energy and Its Role in Ensuring Sustainable Development and International Cooperation. Last year the President of Turkmenistan propose to establish an exert group under the aegis of the UN, which will develop the universal mechanism for ensuring reliable transit of energy to world markets. This September at the 65th session of the UN General Assembly Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov put forward the new initiative to establish a new body – the Energy Council of the UN.

Standing steadfast to the principles aimed at strengthening global energy security, Turkmenistan, in its turn, takes consistent steps to expand hydrocarbon resource base and modernize its gas transportation infrastructure to increase its capacity to meet energy demand on domestic and foreign markets.

Implementing the energy strategy aimed at steadily increasing production and export of hydrocarbon resources, first of all, ‘blue fuel’ which in high demand on world markets, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov set the priority task to the national fuel and energy sector to accelerate construction of field facilities and bring developed deposits into service.

For this purpose the large-scale investment project for construction of field facilities in the giant gas field Southern Yoloten-Osman, the reserves of which are estimated today at 18 trillion cubic metres, was launched on the initiative of the leader of the Turkmen state last December. This work is carried out by the Turkmengaz State Concern, which concluded the contracts totally worth USD 10 trillion with companies from the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea and the United Arab Emirates.

Turkmenistan has many other deposits with abundant hydrocarbon reserves in its territory. To date, the Turkmengaz State Concern has lunched the development of about 30 gas and gas condensate deposits including such unique fields as Dovletabat and Satlyk, the largest fields including Malay, Kerpicli, Garassyzlygyn 10 Yylygy, Gazyldepe, Bagaja, Yolguyi and others.

The recent discoveries of a number of gas and gas condensate deposits including Agarguyi, Northern Gazlydepe, Southern Gutlyyak, Geyazli, Minara testify to the successful efforts to expand gas resource base. Moreover, an increase in commercial hydrocarbon reserves has been achieved in the deposits including Northern Nayip, Bagaja, Cartak, Garajaovlak, Garadurun, Ajiyap and others.

In 2009 the Turkmengaz State Concern and the Turkmnebitgasgurlusik State Concern started testing and commercial operation of fields of the Gurrukbil-Garabil group in Mary Velayat that would enable to increase gas production up to 4 billion cubic metres a year.

Commercial development of fields of the Zyakli-Darvaza group, which has just started, will contribute profoundly to enhancing the industrial potential of the Turkmen state.

The construction of the East-West gas pipeline, the largest one in Turkmenistan launched this May, will profoundly contributed to extending gas transportation infrastructure in the country. The leader of the Turkmen state entrusted the Turkemngaz State Concern and the Turkmengaznebitgurlusik State Concern to build this gas artery. This gas pipeline, which will cross the almost entire territory of the country, will be provide additional guarantees of interrupted gas supplies to meet domestic needs as well as the needs of international gas pipelines, both existing and those under construction, in ‘blue fuel’.

Thus, by launching large-scale investment projects in the oil and gas sector, Turkmenistan demonstrates the most responsible approach to international energy cooperation and takes concrete measures in this sphere to build multi-vector hydrocarbon transport system and ensure reliable and stable transit of energy to world markets.