Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, April 24 / Trend H. Hasanov /
The East-West main gas pipeline at a cost of over $2 billion being constructed in Turkmenistan since 2010 will provide ample opportunities for natural gas export, a statement released by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of Turkmenistan says.
According to the statement, the project must be completed within five years. This pipeline which starts from a gas compressor installation at the Shatlyk station in Mary velayat (province) will connect large deposits in the east of the country with its western regions.
'More specifically, the delivery of natural gas from the Galkinish, South Eloten, Osman and Yashlar fields to the western part of the country will significantly increase the opportunities of its transfer to foreign countries', the statement says, emphasising there is a trend of an increased gas demand in the world.
The building's owner is publicly owned Turkmengaz.
The annual capacity of the pipeline with a pipe diameter of 1,420 mm will be 30 billion cubic meters per year. Eight gas compressor plants will be equipped with high-tech equipment. The length of the pipeline running through the territory of Mary, Akhal and Balkan provinces will be more than 766 kilometres and the end point will be the Belek installation plant in Balkan province
"Natural gas is extremely necessary not only for sale to foreign countries, but is also vital to meet our own needs," the government of the country had noted previously.
Construction of new plants, factories, power plants and other enterprises is stipulated along the gas pipeline in Turkmenistan. A significant amount of gas is required for the dynamic development of the power sector of the country, including the electrification of the long distance section from Shatlyk to Belek.
The East-West gas pipeline will contribute to the integral formation of the gas supply of the steel plant at Ruhabat, as well as the textile complex, enterprises producing construction materials, as well as those firms belonging to other industries in Abadan.
It is expected that the production capacity of agricultural and other facilities in the Gektepe and Baharly etraps will increase. Large scale construction of social and cultural facilities, as well as industrial enterprises in the Serdar and Bereket etraps and the city of Balkanabat which is the administrative centre of the velayat, is planned.