BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Turkmenistan's natural gas sector continues to grow, with the country’s proven reserves reaching 400 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) as of January 1, 2025, ranking fifth globally, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Trend reports.
In 2023, Turkmenistan set new records in both production and consumption, with dry natural gas production hitting 3.0 Tcf and domestic consumption rising to 1.6 Tcf. These figures mark the highest levels recorded since the country began tracking data in 1992.
The resilience of Turkmenistan’s natural gas industry was tested in 2009 when a dispute with Russia led to a sharp decline in production, nearly halving output to 1.2 Tcf. The crisis prompted Ashgabat to diversify its export routes, leading to the construction of the East-West Gas Pipeline and new connections to European and Asian markets. The country is now focused on completing the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Gas Pipeline and advancing the Trans-Caspian Pipeline project, which would extend the East-West Pipeline to Europe via Azerbaijan and Türkiye.
At the heart of Turkmenistan’s energy ambitions is the Galkynysh Gas Field, the world’s second-largest by reserve volume. Operated by the Turkmengaz state-owned company, Galkynysh holds an estimated 953.5 Tcf in reserves, including unproven volumes, and produces approximately 3.2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) from 45 wells. The field’s development has so far cost $10 billion, with an $8 billion loan from China helping finance the initial phase. Further expansion is expected to boost production.
Galkynysh also features advanced processing infrastructure, including two sour gas and condensate processing complexes with a combined capacity of 1.0 Tcf per year, along with three natural gas treatment and sulfur-handling facilities, each capable of processing 0.4 Tcf annually.
However, high methane emissions from Turkmenistan’s oil and gas fields pose a challenge to the country’s ambitions to supply Europe via the proposed Trans-Caspian Pipeline. While this may slow European market access, Turkmenistan is strengthening its position in Asia, with the planned TAPI pipeline and the development of Line D of the Central Asia Gas Pipeline (CAGP) offering alternative export opportunities.