President of Turkmenistan attended the ceremony of opening the office building of the China National Petroleum Corporation in Ashgabat and the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of a gas processing plant in the Bagtyyarlyk contractual territory in Hojambaz Etrap in Lebap Velayat.
These events illustrate successful large-scale and long-term partnerships between Turkmenistan and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). The company has been operating in Turkmenistan since 2002, and it received the license for prospecting and developing gas deposits on the right bank of the Amu Darya River from President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in 2007.
…In the morning the President of Turkmenistan arrived at the venue for the ceremony of opening the CNPC office building on Bitarap Turkmenistan Avenue.
The President’s car drove in the territory where the Vice Premiers, the Ashgabat Khyakim and top managers of the China National Petroleum Corporation had gathered together to participate in the ceremony.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov greeted those present and headed to the main entrance to the office building. The Turkmen leader cut the ribbon to the applause of ceremony participants and guests and entered the building: the CNPC office building. Thus, one more architectural ensemble in the new business centre of the Turkmen capital was opened.
The Turkmen leader accompanies by top managers of the Chinese company entered the five-storey office building with the total area of 16,300 square metres. It was built by the Myradym private construction company.
On the ground floor the Turkmen leader got acquainted with high-tech equipment and software of the Geofram Petrel and Eclipse workstations.
The Turkmen leader showed the keen interest in the information on advanced technologies for drilling controlled directional and horizontal wells which were used by CNPC specialists on oil and gas fields throughout Turkmenistan.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited a video conference hall supplied with state-of-the-art equipment and devices. The CNPC top managers told in detail about innovative technologies used there. To commemorate this event President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov wrote an entry to the Book of Guests of Honour.
Then the Turkmen leader entered the VIP hall of the office building where he held the talks with the top managers of the China National Petroleum Corporation.
Thanking the Turkmen leader for the opportunity of a meeting and the participation in the ceremony, General Manager of CNPC Чжоу Цзипин congratulated President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the success of the recent state visit to the People’s Republic of China and the top level talks in Beijing which had resulted in signing a package of important bilateral agreements aimed at building up partnership in the whole spectrum of fields, including the fuel and energy sector. It was noted that the Chinese side attached considerable significance to promoting cooperation with dynamically developing Turkmenistan that had the tremendous economic and resource potential and earned the reputation of being a dependable and trustworthy partner.
Mr. Jiang Jiemin said it was this factor that underlay to a larger extent the keen willingness of the Chinese business community to expand on the promising Turkmen market and establish full-scale partnership in national interests of the two states that had dozens of ambitious joint projects in its assets. In this context the CEO of the Chinese oil and Gas Company underlined the significant role of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline. The construction of this transnational gas main line in 2009 was recognized by the world community as a historic event to global scale.
Thanking for the kind words, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed that Turkmenistan was committed to the multifaceted interstate dialogue with China as one of its long-term strategic partners and emphasized that cooperation with China met the interests of the two friendly nations and stood as an essential factor for strengthening peace and stability on global scale.
The General Manager of CNPC reported President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the activities to produce ‘blue fuel’ and develop industrial infrastructure in gas-bearing areas on the right bank of the Amu Darya River under the production sharing agreement concluded with the Turkmen side.
Underscoring the importance of widely adopting innovative technologies and scientific and technical advances in various branches of the fuel and energy sector, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the need to intensify the activities to train highly qualified specialists for the oil ad gas industry. In this context the Turkmen leader said it would be advisable to open the department of directional and horizontal drilling at the Institute of Oil and Gas the following year.
An exchange of views on the prospects of collaboration under existing bilateral agreements took place during the meeting. In this context the progress in implementing the large-scale joint project for the second gas processing plant in the Bagtyyarlyk contractual territory which would enable to increase ‘blue fuel’ exports to the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline was considered.
Expressing gratitude for a constructive approach to cooperation, the General Manager of the Chinese company assured President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov that CNPC would take further steps to justify the credit granted to it and work more effectively in Turkmenistan where the favourable conditions for foreign businesses had been created.
Emphasizing that Turkmenistan was committed to mutually advantageous cooperation, the Turkmen leader said the tremendous potential of Turkmen-Chinese partnerships and the mutual willingness to effectively implement facilitated enhancing and diversifying business contacts.
Upon concluding the meeting, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov wished Chinese specialist every success in their activities.
After leaving the CNPC office building, the Turkmen leader headed to the Ashgabat International Airport. On that day President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov arrived in Lebap Velayat where he attended the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the second gas processing plant in the Bagtyyarlyk contractual territory in Hojambaz Etrap. This facility will be an important component of the Turkmenistan-China gas transportation network and contribute to enhancing exports of Turkmen natural gas.
The Vice Premiers, the high-ranking official of Lebap Velayat, the leaders and local citizens cordially and heartily greeted the Turkmen leader at the airport in Turkmenabat.
Thanking those present for the hearty welcome and wishing them every success and good health, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov headed to the helicopter platform. Then the helicopter took the Turkmen leader to the venue for the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the second gas processing plant in the Bagtyyarlyk contractual territory.
A festive atmosphere reigned on that day in the territory of the largest gas condensate field Bagtyyarlyk situated on the right bank of the Amu Darya River. The model of the second gas processing plant was displayed on the special stand providing the detailed information on the progress of construction works. The map of the route of the gas transport artery crossing the territory of the four states shows how ‘blue fuel’ is transported from the right bank of the Amu Darya River rich in hydrocarbon resources across Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to China.
An exposition of high-powered machines and equipment, including trucks, excavators, bulldozers, concrete mixers, heavy haulers to be used by builders was arranged there. This exposition showcased the scope of construction of this important industrial facility to be carried out there.
Among ceremony participants were the cabinet ministers, high-ranking officials of ministries and departments, khyakims of Lebap Velayat and Hojambaz Etrap, the elders, Turkmen ambassadors to foreign states, top managers of the China National Petroleum Corporation, representatives of the public organisations, journalists, oil and gas industry workers and local young citizens who had colourful banners, balloons and flowers in their hands.
The President’s helicopter landed in the construction site of the future second gas processing plant, one of major industrial infrastructure facilities in the Bagtyyarlyk contractual territory.
Cordially thanking those present for the hearty welcome, the President headed to the special tent where a special meeting was held to mark the construction of the gas processing plant. A film about the impressive scale and major stages of construction of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline, which had gone down into modern history as the 21st-century transnational project, was demonstrated on the big monitors for ceremony participants and guests.
Addressing ceremony participants and guests, the Turkmen leader congratulated oil and gas industry workers and specialists on the professional holiday and wished them every success in the activities for the benefit of the Motherland.
In his speech the Turkmen leader underscored the critical role of this event in promoting the energy policy of the Turkmen state aimed at modernizing the Turkmen fuel and energy sector and diversifying transit of energy to world market.
The Turkmen leader said the office building of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) had been opened in Ashgabat in the morning on that day. Congratulating top managers of the Chinese company on this event, the President emphasized that Turkmenistan launched the ambitious projects in collaboration with Chinese partners four years ago under the General Agreement between the Governments of the two states to develop gas deposits on the right bank of the Amu Darya River where the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline recognized as the 21st-century project starts.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov reminded that during the state visit to the People’s Republic of China the Turkmen government delegation had participated in the festivities to mark the supply of the first cubic metre of Turkmen natural gas to the Guangdong Province. Thus, the successful implementation of this large-scale project will give a powerful impetus to build new industrial infrastructure facilities and eventually create new jobs in the region.
In this regard President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that this region on the Amu Darya River had become the place exciting keen interest among oil and gas companies all over the world which are willing to cooperate with us. The significance of this region that has rich oil and gas deposits has increased since several new fields were discovered there.
Noting that Turkmenistan has a number of large-scale deposits with unique ‘blue fuel’ reserves, the Turkmen leader said the results of the independent audit conducted by the British firm Gaffney, Cline & Associates in the Galkynys gas field (known before as Southern Yoloten-Osman) had in fact become an event striking the world as well as vivid evidence for the enhanced role of this region.
The Turkmen leader said through attracting foreign partners and adopting advanced technologies Turkmenistan would significantly accelerate exploration and use of immense reserves of this rich field. All these projects of significant importance for promoting multilateral energy cooperation had drawn a worldwide response. In this context the Turkmen leader said this fact illustrated that the projects we were implementing have profound economic, geopolitical and social significance far beyond Central Asia.
In conclusion President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said the large-scale work carried out to modernize the oil and gas industry was aimed at promoting effective energy cooperation, addressing energy security challenges, enhancing the economic strength of the neutral Motherland and improving the quality of life of citizens of Turkmenistan and peoples of the states that cooperated with us in this sector.
Taking an opportunity, the Turkmen leader expressed the wishes of happiness, good health and prosperity to the leadership and people of China and belief that the ties of friendship and close cooperation between our countries would serve further the interests of our peoples and be enhanced in the name of peace, security and stability in Central Asia and eastern Asia.
The Turkmen leader’s speech aroused enthusiasm of ceremony participants and guests and greeted with the storm of applause.
Then the floor was given to General Manager of CNPC Jiang Jiemin.
Cordially congratulating the President and people of Turkmenistan on this important, historic event and reaffirming that the Chinese company sought to enhance mutually advantageous cooperation with Turkmenistan, Mr. Jiang Jiemin expressed belief that through the wise and forward-looking policy of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov – the leader of a new formation concerted efforts of partners' would ensure the accelerated pace of construction of the gas processing plant and development of the gas deposit. On behalf of numerous employees the CEO of CNPC thanked the Turkmen leader for granting the credit and confidence to his company. Noting that CNPC specialists were ready to start their work, he assured the leader of Turkmenistan that the Chinese side would meet its contractual obligations.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov headed to the venue for the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the gas processing plant. Then the Turkmen leader signed a message to descendants and put into the special capsule. The capsule was put into the foundation pit of the future gas processing pant. Then the President of Turkmenistan poured the first shovels of concrete in the foundation pit and kick-started the construction of the new industrial giant. The elders and other ceremony participants followed the Turkmen leader.
After the ceremony was concluded, the President cordially bade farewell to those present. Then the Turkmen leader’s helicopter headed to the airport in Turkmenabat from where the President left for Ashgabat.