Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, March 2
By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:
Turkmenistan is quite capable of providing the European market with necessary volumes of gas given abundant natural gas reserves and the opportunities of developing the export pipeline infrastructure, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of Turkmenistan said March 2.
"A huge resource base of hydrocarbons onshore and offshore allows Turkmenistan to increase the exports of natural gas to the world markets, to develop the new routes of its exports in the eastern and the European directions," the statement said.
While ranking fourth in the world in natural gas reserves, Turkmenistan seeks to expand its way to the international gas market to maximally use its natural resources, the statement said.
Turkmenistan actively works to supply from 10 to 30 billion cubic meters of gas per year to the European market.
In particular, the possibility of building the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline is being considered. It will stretch through the Caspian Sea from the coast of Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan.
The negotiations on this project implementation are being actively conducted at various levels with the European Union, the European Commission, certain countries and companies.
RSK Environment Ltd company carried out the preliminary environmental studies upon the World Bank's order.
The examination confirmed that from an environmental point of view, the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline is a safe route. Today Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan have every opportunity to implement the project of its construction as part of bilateral activities, the report said.
The deposits of the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea may be the resource base for the gas supply via the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline at the initial stage.
The reference is made to the European experts. They believe that the presence of the already proven and proved natural gas reserves in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea makes it possible to supply 16 billion cubic meters of gas per year in this direction.
In the future, there will be an opportunity to use the resources of gas fields in eastern Turkmenistan to supply gas through the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline. This will be possible after the commissioning of the East-West gas pipeline with a pumping capacity of 30 billion cubic meters per year. Its construction will be completed this year.
Turkmenistan is one of the key players on the gas market in the Caspian region and Central Asia.
Edited by CN