Italian energy company Eni said it was interested in expanding its exploration operations off the coast of Turkmenistan.
Eni Chief Executive Officer Claudio Descalzi met in Ashgabat with Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to discuss prospects for future cooperation.
The Italian company said it had a strong track record in the country’s gas sector and was interested in expanding operations in offshore exploration.
Turkmenistan last year opened its Galkynysh natural gas field near the border of Afghanistan. It’s one of the largest gas fields in the world, with an estimated 925 trillion cubic feet of reserves.
The Central Asian country is one of the largest natural gas producers in the world and exports most of its natural gas to China.
“The president expressed his satisfaction for the current status of activities, in particular the excellent health, safety and environmental performance, with no accidents in the last two years,” the company said Tuesday.
The Italian energy company has been operating in Turkmenistan since 2008. Most of the gas it produces is fed into the local market.
