Today, the XXVIII international conference and exhibition “Oil and gas of Turkmenistan -2023” organized by “Türkmengaz”, “Türkmennebit” State Concerns and “Türkmengeologiýa” State Corporation has taken a start in the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

The large specialized forum aimed at strengthening and development of international cooperation in the energy sector is not held only in a traditional format, but is broadcast from Ashgabat in tens of countries of the world online. 

In the morning, a solemn opening ceremony of the forum took place with participation of members of the Government, heads of sectoral departments, heads of diplomatic missions and important international organizations accredited to Turkmenistan, specialists of famous oil and gas businesses and financial institutions, leading experts of oil and gas companies, representatives of public organizations, mass media, foreign guests and others.

Some representatives of foreign companies, large international organizations and banks joined discussion online. 

The present forum brought together hundreds of participants, including foreign representatives from over 45 countries. The gathered were familiarized with presentations devoted to development of strategy of future international, regional and national industries of the fuel and energy complex as well as with review and analytical materials on the state of affairs on the oil market of the world marketing strategies in the given sphere.

An impressing composition of delegates of the forum attests to a regular growing interest of business circles of various countries in development of fruitful cooperation with Turkmenistan. Their strive for strengthening of partnership is also due to the open doors policy and constructive initiatives of our country aimed at ensuring the global energy security.

The performance of workers of art and culture, who performed dance compositions and songs devoted to our beloved fatherland with inspiration, preceded the opening ceremony of the international exhibition. 

A welcoming message of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, which underlined that the international forum will enable foreign participants to familiarize themselves with the strategy of development of the fuel and energy complex of our country, gained experience in attraction of latest technologies and skills for development of forms of service, was heard with great attention. Priority is maintenance of ecological safety in the profile industry.

“Such meetings in which profile specialists show a great interest , are significant for development of rather efficient mechanisms of interaction and adjustment of direct contacts to commission new joint projects for development and rational use of enormous fuel and energy resources of Turkmenistan “, the head of the state notes in his message.

The annual show will serve a fruitful platform for wide popularization of achievements of the national fuel and energy complex in the Era of Revival of the New epoch of the Powerful State, business communication of Turkmen and foreign specialists, leading producers from Europe, Asia and America, establishment of direct fruitful contacts, commissioning of new projects, familiarization with world tendencies and future of development of the sector.

About 70 exhibitors, of which 40 are foreign companies, placed their stands in the exhibition hall of the chamber of industry and commerce. In particular, they are from the Republic of Azerbaijan, United Kingdom, Denmark, Italy, and People’s Republic of China, Korea, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Russian Federation, Singapore, United States of America, Republic of Turkiye, France, Japan and others.

The exposition displayed a wide range of goods and service in the sphere of prospecting, mining, transportation and storage of hydrocarbon resources, В deep drilling, modernization of acting and construction of new pipelines, increase in capacities in oil and gas processing as well as rise of output of wells.

A special place was given to the offshore exploration and formation of coastal infrastructure necessary for the implementation of projects in the Caspian Sea as well as to ecological innovations and promising solutions in the field of renewables, enhancement of ecological safety in industries.

“Türkmennebit”, “Türkmengaz” State Concerns, “Türkmengeologiýa” State Corporation as well as tens of sectoral enterprises and private businesses employed in the sphere of national fuel and energy complex acted as major exhibitors of the exhibition.

Foreign companies specialized in both oil and gas sphere and metallurgy, chemistry, machine building, energy, manufacturing  sectors and possess high technologies and technical potentials, can here not only display their production but also significantly expand their partnership relations and enhance efficiency of their businesses contacts. In its turn, it will serve facilitation of fruitful cooperation in the given sector as well as further integration of the sector into the global energy system.

On the monitor installed in the centre of the exhibition area, one can see the footage of development of the national oil and gas industry. Participants got a unique opportunity to act as oil and gas production operator virtually with means of technical facilities and attend the drilling of oil wells and exploration of natural gas fields.

In the second half of the day the international conference “Oil and gas of Turkmenistan–2023” started its work and such topical issues as global tendencies in development of energy markets and opportunities for cooperation, development of existing fields and optimization of output of new oil and gas deposits with attraction of foreign investments, including development of offshore blocks of the Turkmen sector of the Caspian sea were considered.

Experts at the plenary session “The future of global energy” pointed out that the current forum enables to assess the future of development of energy diplomacy and underlined necessity of creation of new routes of trade of energy and market commodity cycles, review of priorities and solution of problems of energy security and protection of the environment.

International cooperation in the given sphere , including transition to the clean energy serve a priority of the economic strategy of Turkmenistan, which takes the fourth place in the world for its reserves in natural gas and pursues the policy based on principles of long term cooperation, openness, consideration of national interests and mutual responsibility of sides.

As representatives of our country noted in their papers, solution of designated goals is directly connected with development of partnership with representatives of foreign companies – manufacturers of equipment for oil and gas processing industries, investment companies.

In this regard, proposals of the Turkmen side on further expansion of cooperation in the sphere, all the more that the conditions created in the country, namely the favourable investment climate ,tax benefits and others became real preconditions for attraction of financial investments in development of mining and processing industries of the fuel and energy complex were mentioned .

As a leading sector of the national economy, the oil and gas industry is given a significant role in implementation of large-scale programs for industrialization of the country on the innovative basis and expansion of its export potentials.

Speakers marked that as an active participant of international processes, Turkmenistan offers its enormous potential for use of universal interest and displays its vision of sustainable goals and opportunities for their achievement. 

Possessing enormous reserves of hydrocarbon resources, our independent neutral country under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov steadily implements a complex strategy in the fuel and energy complex. Its key components serve modernization of the profile infrastructure based con advanced technologies and solutions where special attention is attached to the factors of ecological safety, increase in capacities of extracting and processing sectors , diversification of routes of delivery of “blue fuel”.

It was also underlined that as one of the large exporters of energy resources, Turkmenistan acts for development of reliable international systems for their transportation.

In the plenary session Ambassador John MacGregor, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat,  Executive Director, Low Carbon Solutions & International Growth, ADNOC (UAE) Musabbeh Al Kaabi, President, CNPC Hou Qijun, President, SOCAR Rovshan Najaf,  EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, Medhat M. Kamal, President of SPE 2023, Baker Hughes Caspian Vice President Elena Akoltseva, BP Vice President for Finance in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey Colin Allan and UNECE Sustainable Energy Division Director Dario Liguti and others also took part. 

Foreign visitors in their reports made an emphasis that a constructive approach to issues of mutually beneficial partnership, creative initiatives of Turkmenistan on formation of new architecture of global energy security obtain a close support of the world community.

Further, the conference continued its works in thematic sessions. The first of them was “Delivering the Energy Needs of Today while Investing in the Energy Systems of Tomorrow: Natural Gas and Chemical Gas Utilization, Oil and Petrochemical”. In discussion, including via video conferencing heads and representatives of foreign companies, in particular Ismadi Bin Ismail, General Director of PETRONAS Carigali (Turkmenistan) Sdn Bhd, Stephen Wright, technical director of GaffneyCline, Dorjee Sun, Founder and CEO of Bioeconomy (Singapore), Arne Peder Blix, CEO of ICA-Finance (Norway) and others took part.

Speakers underlined that Turkmenistan has covered a great way of development lately as leading regional energy power. Large-scale projects realized and large-scale projects implemented in the oil and gas complex, which concerns the whole world can serve a visual example for it. In particular, it includes the civil-engineering design of the gas pipeline Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India, which is supported by large world powers and authoritative international financial institutions. This energy highway urged not only to provide delivery of Turkmen gas to the countries of South Asia, but also to become a key factor in strengthening economic partnership, promotion of consolidation of peace and stability in the region.

It was stated that stage-by-stage development of “Galkynyş”, one of the world's largest deposits of blue fuel as well as construction of the fourth branch of gas pipeline Turkmenistan-China proceed. Development of licensed sea blocks of the Turkmen shelf of the Caspian Sea at the expense of foreign investments acts as priority aspect in extraction of hydrocarbon resources.

Recognising importance of transnational gas pipelines, it is necessary to note that natural gas is a key element of energy transition and plays an important role as raw materials for hydrogen manufacture as clean energy.

As was underlined, recent years were marked for Turkmenistan as a real breakthrough in development of interstate relations, fruits of which were important joint projects. Today, in the century of advanced technologies and science, consumption of raw oil and oil products grows. In the given context, a great deal of work is carried out to diversify the oil and gas branch, create  new capacities for deep oil and gas refining, which produce various petro and gas chemical production with high added value and enjoying a high demand  both on the home and foreign markets.

It was especially pointed out that a modern gas chemical complex for the production of polyethylene and polypropylene built to the order of “Türkmengaz” State Concern by LG International Corp and Hyundai Engineering (Republic of Korea) with participation of TOYO Engineering Corporation (Japan) functions in the Kiyanly settlement of Balkan velayat.

With joint efforts of "Türkmengaz" State Concern and Consortium of companies “Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.” (Japan) and “Rönesans Endüstri Tesisleri Inşaat Sanaýi ve Ticaret A. Ş.” (Turkey) in Akhal velayat the first-ever factory for production of synthetic gasoline of natural gas was constructed. The basic production of the unique enterprise is the gasoline, which meets ecological requirements.

The international conference will work until October 27. Participants should discuss a wide range of issues at thematic sessions “Ecological Aspects of Extraction of Hydrocarbons”, “Accelerating the Drive to Monetize and Diversify New Energy Resources; Technological Innovations, and the Role of Human Capital in Delivering Clean and Affordable Energy”. 

At the sessions held in a hybrid format, heads and experts of large profile foreign companies and international financial organizations as well as experts will speak.

Participants will devote their reports to such topical issues for our country as geological prospecting in the oil and gas industry, new projects on modernization of capacities of the Turkmenbashi oil refinery complex (TORC) and Seydi oil refining factory, experience and prospects of development of “Galkynyş” deposit, the latest update of its geological model, importance of access to low hydrocarbon energy, the future of export of Turkmen natural gas, as well as work carried out in the framework of the “Programs of development of the oil and gas industry of Turkmenistan the Period up to 2030”.

Important themes, concerning the data and methods of assessment of emissions of methane and passing gas in elements of industrial-marketing chain of extraction of hydrocarbons and delivery of non-polluting goods and services will be discussed. Reduction of emissions of carbonic gas into the atmosphere and, accordingly, growth of demand for natural gas - the main long-term trend in development of global energy, connected with aspiration of the world community to combat climate change.

As known, with a view of fulfilment of the goals proceeding from the international obligations on preservation of the environment, including realization the Paris Agreement on reduction of volumes of greenhouse gas emissions in our country as well as wide adjustment of cooperation with developed states of the world, authoritative international organizations and large companies, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov signed the Resolution,  according to which the Road-map on development of international cooperation aimed at study of issue of accession of Turkmenistan to the Global Methane Commitment for 2023-2024 and the Plan of actions on its realization.

Acceleration of development of the oil and gas branch of Turkmenistan and its active inclusion in the international energy system provides increase in export possibilities of hydrocarbon resources on the basis of modern non-polluting technologies and advanced world experience. In the solution of this strategic goal, a huge role is given to further stage-by-stage development of huge deposit “Galkynyş”, one of features of which is high composition of sour components (hydrogen sulphide and carbonic gas) as a part of natural gas. Now at the deposit gas-processing complexes equipped with modern technologies, for pre-processing of hydrocarbon raw materials, clearing and dehydration as well as production of commodity gas and hydrogen sulphide processing in sulphur, granulation and packing of sulphur are built.

Within the SPE Technical Panel Discussion: Upstream challenges and opportunities in a future of growing demand: carbon capture and sour gas reinjection”, international experts will share their experience with Turkmen colleagues and plan ways of further deepening of cooperation in the sphere of development of hydrocarbon deposits with high composition of sour gases and reductions of harmful emissions into the atmosphere. In connection with growth of rates of development of deposit, the volume of extracted gas will be considerably increased and the goal of chemical recycling of sour gases and their use in manufacture of fertilizers becomes topical as well.

Today, renewed energy sources, first of all wind and solar experience active development. In this connection, transition to "green" energy technologies, which will not allow destroying the environment, is considered. Presence of wide access to inexpensive, reliable, modern energy sources has a crucial importance for further development of all countries and well-being of their people.

In the given context, it is necessary to consider work of world gas industry on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the role of technological innovations in assessment of emissions as well as efficiency of digital resources and computing services, thanks to which the oil and gas industry can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, carbonic gases and supply non-polluting energy in the near future.

At present, in solution of climate change the fuel of future - hydrogen is advocated. In industrial production, it can provide with heat, without forming greenhouse gases, as the heat capacity of hydrogen is 3 times higher than other kinds of fuel. Besides, it can be used as energy store. Positive qualities of this modern energy carrier - pure fuel with zero gas emissions, fast refuelling, safety, profitability, competitiveness.

Thanks to innovations in infrastructure of energy technologies hydrogen starts to "prevail" in new markets. The experts, capable to solve actual problems in energy sector for this purpose are required. In this connection, issues of preparation of highly skilled personnel, including increase in the scientific potential and the role of research and development work in development of oil and gas branch will be discussed at sessions.

Various profile companies of the world will deliver their presentations, share their experience and new solutions.

Following the results of the conference, bilateral meetings, including online ones, between heads of structural divisions of national fuel and energy complex and their foreign partners for discussion of strategic areas of further interaction will take place. It is also to hold the press conference.