Turkmenistan has unveiled the development plan of the world’s second biggest gas field, Galkynysh, in Mary province in the east of the country.
The energy ministry has released a report, saying that the production level of this field would reach 95bn m3/yr by fully developing the three phases, without giving a date.
Turkmenistan inaugurated the first phase of Galkynysh gas field with initially 10bn m3/y in September 2013. At full capacity it will be at 30bn m3/y. Phase 2 is to have the same capacity. The field contains 27.4 trillion m3 of gas reserves, according to the ministry. “There is a great potential to increase the production, refining and transportation of natural gas from Galkynysh field,” the report added. The field has a high sulphur content.
The ministry did not say when phases II and III would become operational, but the country has already started exporting phase I to China through the Central Asia-China Gas Pipeline, while recently the East-West pipeline, stretching from this field towards the Caspian, was inaugurated. It can potentially be used for delivering gas towards western countries in future.
On the other hand, Turkmenistan started building the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) pipeline which is aimed at exporting Galkynysh gas to India. The pipeline would deliver 33bn m3 /yr to the three participant countries.
Turkmenistan produces 76bn m3/y of gas, of which 35bn m3/y are exported to China and Iran. Russia stopped gas intake from Turkmenistan since early January 2016. Turkmenistan has contracts with China to boost gas exports to 65bn m³/yr by 2020, bringing the total to 98bn m³/yr, but much of that gas will come from the Amu-Darya reserves, leaving gas for western countries and the Tapi project.
The ministry says Turkmengaz plans to drill nine new operation wells in Galkynysh during 2016. “Eight modern drilling rigs ZJ-70DBS made in China will be used for the drilling on Galkynysh field. The new drilling rigs able to wells to 7,000 meters depth.”
