OREANDA-NEWS. November 11, 2010. An opening ceremony for a 200 kilometers-long natural gas pipeline from the fields in the Central Kara Kum to Yulanly Compressor Station was held on October 16 in Turkmenistan. The Project was completed by MRK-Engineering of ITERA International Group of Companies.

Specialists of MRK-Engineering accomplished an entire complex of work within the framework of the Project including engineering design jointly with designers of Turkmenistan, procurement, and pipe laying for the new gas transportation system.

Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, President of Turkmenistan, congratulated constructors and all participants in the Project with completion of the pipeline. The President stressed "that the Project was one of vivid examples of mutually advantageous cooperation of Turkmenistan with the Russian Federation", and pointed out that "Russian companies were actively involved in implementing a number of investment projects aimed at developing gas transportation infrastructure of the country which met the plans of Turkmenistan to increase the supply of natural gas to global markets".

Yakshigeldy Kakayev, the Executive Director of the State Agency on Management and Use of Hydrocarbon Resources under the President of Turkmenistan, pointed out during the opening ceremony that "the Central Kara Kum – Yalanly CS pipeline" was built according to world standards with the use of advanced technology and modern equipment.

In particular, pre-coated line pipes were used to considerably increase their lifetime. Automatic welding complexes were used to speed up pipe laying. Modern materials and equipment from the world leading producers were used at assembling communication and teleautomatics facilities.

Up to three billion cubic meters of natural gas a year shall be transported via the new pipeline from the fields in the Central Kara Kum to the Central Asia – Center gas-main pipeline.

Gennadi Skidanov, First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of ITERA Oil and Gas Company, LLC, when addressing those present at the ceremony, pointed out that the successfully accomplished project was "another good example of the mutually advantageous cooperation between ITERA and Turkmenistan", which "with the assistance of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov acquired stable and dynamic character" not only in fuel and energy area, but also in other branches of economy.

ITERA Group continues working on other projects in Turkmenistan. The company constructed and opened a new office building in Ashkhabad. This was required by the scale of the growing cooperation including cooperation in development of Block 21 in the Caspian Sea shelf and implementation of other promising projects. ITERA-Invest-Stroi, an ITERA Group company, commissioned a modern stadium for ten thousand seats. It is involved in construction of two hippodromes. It will also construct a high-grade hotel complex in the Avaza resort zone in the Caspian Sea shore.