Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Jan. 3 / Trend H.Hasanov/
The development of hydrocarbon resources was discussed at the last governmental meeting in Turkmenistan in 2011, a Turkmen official source reported on Saturday.
Deputy Prime Minister supervising the Turkmen fuel-energy complex Baimurat Hojamuhammedov made a report on the oil and gas complex, as well as the number of major investment projects currently underway.
The main focus rests in the development of the Galkynysh field. It ranks second in the world. The raw material is supplied to China via one of the most extensive gas pipelines through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
President Berdymuhamedov stressed a number of priorities designed to fully utilise a huge resource potential of the basic area of the national economy given the plans in the long-term programme of the development of the domestic fuel and energy sector, as well as the country's obligations to its foreign partners till 2030.
The importance of effective organisation of work carried out and strict control over the operation of the action plan was emphasised.
Turkmenistan is one of key suppliers of natural gas in the Caspian region. It hopes to expand this fuel delivery to new world markets - Europe, Pakistan and India. At present Turkmen gas is exported to China, Iran and Russia.
According to Turkmen's programme of development in the oil and gas industry, it is planned to increase annual natural gas production up to 230 billion cubic metres, mainly for export in 2030.
The proven natural gas resources are estimated at 25.213 trillion cubic metres in Turkmenistan as of Oct 1, 2011. The main part (more than 70 per cent) is located in the Mary region in a chain of fields including the Southern Yoloten - Osman (it was renamed Galkynysh meaning Independence and Yashlar with total resources of 19.050 trillion cubic metres. Other resources are located in other parts of the country.
Turkmengas State Concern deals with the industrial development of Galkynysh. It signed service contracts worth $9.7 billion with Gulf Oil & Gas Fze, Petrofac International LLC (UAE), CNPC Chuanging Drilling Engineering Company (China) and LG International Cоrp and the Hyudai Engineering consortium (South Korea) in Dec.2009.
The Chinese CNPC laid a gas pipeline to China in 2009. It deals with the development on the right bank of the Amudarya in the Bitaraplyk field.