Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, May 23 / Trend H.Hasanov /
The Third International Gas Congress of Turkmenistan - TGC 2012 has opened at the national Avaza tourist zone in Turkmenistan on the Caspian Sea shore, the official Turkmen source said on Wednesday
Organisers are the Turkmengaz State Concern, Commerce and Industry Chamber of Turkmenistan and Summit Trade Events (UK).
An extensive programme will touch upon the current issues of the development of Turkmenistan's gas industry and the opportunities for investment in the sector.
The congress is being attended by about 500 delegates from 150 companies and organisations from 32 countries. Among the delegates are heads, senior managers and representatives of companies, specialists of Turkmenistan's oil and gas complex, foreign VIP-guests, diplomats accredited to Turkmenistan and representatives of local and foreign press.
Among the participants are about 50 speakers and 50 distinguished guests from foreign ministries and national companies, representatives of the European Commission, the U.S. Department of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Korea, the Ministry of Economy and Knowledge of the Republic of Korea, Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, as well as representatives from national oil companies from Azerbaijan, Iran, China, Russia, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Turkmenistan claims to be one of the key players in the energy market in the Caspian region. It annually produces about 70-80 billion cubic meters of gas, raw materials have been long time exported to Russia and Iran. In 2009 a route was opened to China. Turkmenistan ranks fourth in the world's gas reserves.
According to the Turkmengeology State Concern, Turkmenistan has discovered 38 oil, 82 gas-condensate fields and 153 gas fields, including 142 fields on land and 11 on the Caspian shelf.
In 2006 Turkmenistan discovered super giant oil and gas field Southern Yoloten-Osman (the current name - Galkynysh), located in Mary province. According to Gaffney, Cline & Associates, this field is the second largest in the world.