Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Dec. 20 /Trend H.Hasanov/
By order of Turkmenistan french Thales builds space satellite, which will be used also for the needs of country's oil and gas sector, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported.
The newspaper reminded that the satellite, as well as the national space agency, established in accordance with the Decree of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
"The problem is the study of our country from a geological point of view, observation of the condition of oil and gas production, agricultural industry, protected natural sites and archaeological showplaces, as well as operational check of environmental hazards, reducing runoff and increasing salinity of estuaries, clusters and the migration of gregarious animals listed in the Red Book, "- says the newspaper.
The article stresses that it is time to learn availability of minerals from the space.
"The study of mineral resources occurs in stages by different methods. This process involved seismic. But before we begin to develop the deposit, we justify resources, features of the location of mineral deposits at depth, develop methods of extraction."
This special method of natural resources assessment is based on a study of images taken from space. This is the best way to know the conditions of formation and development prospects of geological "spreads" and breaks the surface (grabens) and uplifts (horsts) filled with a porous rock containing hydrocarbons.
The study of geological and ecological aspects of the environment with the use of such materials is the part of work of corporation "Turkmengeology" and its aerospace research crew - the only group in the country engaged in geological interpretation of satellite images of earth's surface.
For example, analyzing the location of known deposits clusters near the global uplift passing through the country, that is rich in reserves of oil and gas, the researchers suggest a number of other deposits, while not confirmed, but the "alleged" because of the similarity of geological conditions.
So, a long Bagadja shaft can be seen exclusively in satellite images and contains a series of open and currently under development fields - Bagadja, Malay, Gazly and others, that's why scientists expect here promising discovery of hydrocarbon accumulations.
"Oil and gas fields now open almost throughout the country, new opening up annually. This is achieved by increasing the search depths, which confirms the prediction of the presence of the largest hydrocarbon deposits at depths ranging from 4 to 6 km," - said in an interview the chief of the detachment of the Turkmen aerocosmogeological expedition Bayry Allanazarov.
According to him, they can be imagined in the form of levels or floors of high-rise building. They are called new horizons of one particular field.
At the present stage main areas of oil and gas production in Turkmenistan are Western-Turkmen lowland, Central Karakum, South-East Turkmenistan and the Caspian Sea, where the companies, oil and gas fields based on organic resources working for many years.
The newspaper, referring the opinion of the Turkmen scientists, said that with the development of oil and gas resources in Turkmenistan the environmental protection also being improved.
"In order to avoid ecological disaster during chores, including those related to oil and gas exploration and production, the most advanced technologies and science, including environmental monitoring from space are used. These researches are important to the success of projects in geological, hydrological, geophysical, engineering-geological activity. "
It was reported recently that China Great Wall Industry Corporation signed a contract with the French Thales Alenia Space, under which China will help Turkmenistan to launch the country's first communications satellite
According to the report, the new satellite, developed by Thales Alenia Space, will be the first within creating national communications satellite system of Turkmenistan. Its weight is 4.5 tons, while design service life -15 years.
The communications satellite is scheduled to be launched from Xinchang space launching site by Chang Zheng-3B rocket-carrier in 2014.