The volume of production of natural and associated gas in Turkmenistan in the first eight months of 2021 exceeded 55 billion cubic meters (bcm), an increase of 10.4 bcm compared to the same period last year, the website of the Turkmenbashi Complex of Oil Refineries reported on Monday.
The increase in natural gas production is largely due to the growing demand in international markets, according to the report. During the eight-month period, Turkmenistan’s natural gas exports neared 31 bcm, an increase of 8.3 bcm compared to the same period in 2020, with the growth rate amounting to 137%. The bulk of the Turkmen natural gas was supplied to China.
The Central Asia-China gas pipeline transports around 40 bcm of Turkmen gas a year, and its throughput capacity is 55 billion cubic meters. Since its launch, the pipeline transported more than 300 bcm of commercial gas from the fields of Turkmenistan to China.
The demand for natural gas also grows in the domestic market. In recent years, Turkmenistan commissioned new gas turbine power plants and gas processing complexes such as a polymer plant in Kiyanly, a plant for the production of urea fertilizers in Garabogaz, and a plant for the production of synthetic gasoline in Ahal velayat.
At the end of August, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov participated in the solemn ceremony to mark the start of construction of three complex gas wells at Galkynysh field, one of the world's largest gas fields located in Yolotan etrap of Turkmenistan’s Mary velayat. The industrial gas flow rate of each well is expected to be around 3 million cubic meters per day.
