Photo: rbc.ru
China has won the international tender to develop the fourth phase of the Galkynysh gas field in Turkmenistan. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov announced the decision during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Turkmenistan: Golden Age reported.
According to Berdimuhamedov, a draft framework agreement on the main principles of gas cooperation between Turkmenistan and China has been prepared. This document will serve as the basis for further partnership in the energy sector.
Xi Jinping, for his part, emphasized that participation in the development of Galkynysh and the supply of Turkmen gas is a great honor for China, thanking Turkmenistan for the favorable conditions provided to Chinese partners.
The Turkmen side underlined that the gas sector holds a strategic place in bilateral cooperation. The Turkmenistan–China gas pipeline has been operating for more than 15 years, and both sides are committed to its further expansion.
The Galkynysh field in Turkmenistan is one of the largest in the world, with total reserves—including neighboring structures—estimated at 27.4 trillion cubic meters of gas. According to GaffneyCline, reserves within the field itself exceed 20 trillion cubic meters, with productive layers more than 600 meters thick.
Development began in 2013 and is divided into seven stages. The first stage is currently operational, with 52 wells in production and around 10 more being drilled. Average output per well is about 1.5 million cubic meters of gas per day, with some reaching up to 3 million. Each phase of development is expected to sustain production for over 30 years, with a potential overall output of up to 200 billion cubic meters per year.
The field presents geological challenges: gas-bearing strata are more than 700 meters thick and lie deeper than 5 kilometers underground, with gas containing about 10 percent acidic components.
Galkynysh also encompasses the South Iolotan and Osman zones, which contain an estimated 300 million tons of oil in addition to natural gas. In 2023, production amounted to 50 billion cubic meters of gas and about 20 million tons of oil. The state company Turkmengaz leads development, with participation from China’s CNPC and Turkey’s Çalik Enerji.
