Turkmenistan sees growing demand for energy resources - president

ASHGABAT. Dec 14 (Interfax) - The demand for Turkmen energy resources is on the rise, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov said.

"The demand for Turkmen energy resources is currently growing. World-renowned companies and financial institutions are seeking to establish cooperation in this area," Berdimuhamedov said in his address to workers of the country's oil and gas and geological industries on the Day of Workers of Turkmenistan's Oil and Gas Industry and Geology, which is marked on December 14.

"Turkmenistan's strategy to develop the 'blue fuel' export on a comprehensive basis is based on increasing the capacity of extracting hydrocarbon resources," Berdimuhamedov said.

Turkmenistan has become "one of the leading countries in the world in terms of reserves of fuel raw materials," Berdimuhamedov said in his address to the workers.

"Under the adopted state programs, a lot of work is being done to set up major industrial facilities in the country, build gas transportation systems, and explore promising oil and gas fields. In particular, achievements in this area include the discovery of a number of new oil fields in the southwest of the country, the Turkmenistan-China and East-West gas pipelines, as well as the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline," Berdimuhamedov said.

The Galkynysh gas field, which ranks among the world's leading energy reserves, is of "great political and economic importance" for Turkmenistan, Berdimuhamedov said in his address. "The gradual development of this field expands the capacity to supply Turkmen natural gas to international markets," he said.

Turkmenistan "focuses on processing natural gas and manufacturing products that are in great demand on the global market. The construction and commissioning of several advanced gas-chemical plants in recent years is a vivid confirmation of this," Berdimuhamedov also said.

"The Program for the Development of the Oil and Gas Industry of Turkmenistan through 2030 envisions a further increase in the production capacity of the fuel and energy sector. In this context, it is imperative to work at oil and gas fields using innovative technologies, the recent achievements of science and digital systems that meet the present-day requirements," he said.

"During the development of oil and gas fields it is important to comply with the environmental protection requirements, during the extraction, processing and delivery of hydrocarbon resources to consumers it is imperative to carry out work in line with high environmental requirements, as well as to reduce the impact on climate change," Berdimuhamedov also said.