Turkmenistan has delivered more than 334 billion cubic meters of natural gas to China since the commissioning of Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China pipeline in 2009, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov announced during the conference on commissioning of new gas gathering station in the country’s east on Saturday.
The solemn commission ceremony of the new gas gathering station Gadyn, located in Farap district of Lebap province, was also attended by Turkmen government officials and representatives of Chinese CNPC company, which built the facility.
The Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China pipeline with three branches is 1,830 kilometers long and allows exporting 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, the Head of Turkmenistan said, adding that “there are plans to build the fourth branch to increase the transport volume of this necessary fuel up to 65 billion cubic meters per year in the future.”
The new station will collect and process 5.5 million cubic meters of natural gas per day and deliver it to the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline. The plant will also provide jobs for 200 people, the official Turkmen media reports.
Speaking at the ceremony, Hou Qijun, Board Member and President of CNPC, emphasized that Turkmenistan is a reliable and major supplier of gas to China.
He stated that in July 2007, the Production Sharing Agreement on the Bagtyyarlyk contract area in Lebap and the Agreement on purchase and sale of natural gas were signed between the Türkmengaz (Turkmen Gas) State Concern and CNPC.
The CNPC President added that in the future, it is planned to increase the volume of gas production at the Bagtyyarlyk contract area and thereby bring bilateral cooperation in the energy sector to a new, higher level.
With the development of the second stage of the Galkynysh gas field in Mary, measures are being taken to accelerate the pace of laying the fourth branch of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline, Qijun added.
The Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline has transported more than 400 billion cubic meters of natural gas to China over a period of more than 12 years. The majority of the gas supplies is provided by Turkmenistan and the rest is provided by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
