With the help of huge investments and equipments from China, Turkmenistan plans to improve output of gas substantially and export 65 billion cubic meters to China annually before 2020.
It is reported that proven gas reserves are 17.5 billion cubic meters in Turkmenistan, ranking at the fourth position in the world, next to Iran (33.8 billion cubic meters), Russia (31.3 billion cubic meters) and Qatar (24.7 billion cubic meters). However its level of gas exploration falls behind other countries. Annual output is only 62.3 billion cubic meters, ranking at the thirteenth in the world. Using China’s investment and equipments, Turkmenistan will improve this situation soon.
Gas cooperation between China and Turkmenistan is smooth and the scale is expanding constantly. CNPC (China National Petroleum Corporation) has built up three programs successfully in Turkmenistan. In 2009, the presidents from China, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan opened valve of the first gas processing plant in Bagg Delle Contract Zone, Turkmenistan together. Gas was transmitted to economic zone in China such as Bohai Economic Rim, Yangtza Delta and Perl River Delta. The second has processing plant in Bagg Delle Contract Zone is integrated construction project which is explored, developed, constructed and operated completely by CNPC. The plant went into operation on May 7th, 2014. Gas processing capacity is 9 billion cubic meters. Annual processing capacity of two gas processing plants have exceeded 15 billion cubic meters.
By the end of April, Turkmenistan had already supplied 78.3 billion cubic meters gas to China. In this year, Turkmenistan will export 30 trillion cubic meters gas to China accounting for 1/6 of total domestic total gas consumption. Currently, Turkmenistan is the largest gas field for China.