On the sidelines of the recently concluded 31st International Conference and Exhibition “Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan – 2026” (OGT 2026), representatives of the State Concern “Turkmengaz” and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) reviewed the results of two decades of cooperation in the gas sector and outlined directions for the development of new projects.

A key joint initiative is Phase IV of the development of the “Galkynysh” gas field, implemented by CNPC Amu Darya Petroleum Company Ltd. The project includes the drilling of production wells and the construction of a gas-processing plant with an annual capacity of 10 billion cubic metres.

Work on this phase began on 17 April 2026 in the Mary velayat, attended by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and First Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Ding Xuexiang. This phase is intended to expand the country’s gas-production capacity and create additional opportunities for technology partners and contractors.

The People’s Republic of China remains the largest importer of Turkmen natural gas. Since the launch of the Turkmenistan–China trunk gas pipeline in December 2009, cumulative gas supplies had exceeded 477 billion cubic metres as of 1 October this year.

Representatives of the State Concern “Turkmengaz” and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) reaffirmed their readiness to further strengthen their long-term cooperation. Alongside increasing gas production and transportation volumes, priority areas of joint work include the digitalization of production processes, the introduction of innovative technologies, and the implementation of environmentally responsible solutions to ensure sustainable energy security.