Turkmenistan's president fires oil, gas minister for inefficiency

Turkmenistan's President Gurbanduly Berdimukhamedov on Friday fired the oil and gas industry and natural resources minister. Oraznur Nurmyradov has been in office for a mere three months. His dismissal was due to inactivity and the industry's ineffective operation, as follows from a televised report from the enlarged meeting of the Cabinet, devoted to the results of 2009, Itar-Tass reported.

Deputy Minister Bairamgeldy Nedirov has been appointed to substitute the fired predecessor for the time being.

At the government's meeting no special comments were made regarding the industry's operation, except for the commissioning of two gas export pipelines, those to China and Iran.

In connection with the commissioning of the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China pipeline on December 14 Berdymukhamedov has instituted a professional holiday called Oil and Gas Industry Geology Worker Day.

Under the plan for 2009 Turkmenistan was to produce 75 billion cubic meters of natural gas and 10.8 million tonnes of crude oil. Turkmenistan fell short of both targets. According to the ministry's statistics, gas production proved no more than 40.2 billion cubic meters, mostly due to the suspension of export to Russia.