Turkmenistan: the sleeping giant of the gas world?

The geological basins of Turkmenistan are reviewed as to their hydrocarbon potential, particularly with respect to gas reserves and resources. It is clear that the gas resources are immense. It is estimated that oil and gas reserves and resources are roughly 20 bn tonnes oil-equivalent (toe), about 80% of which is expected to be gas. This compares with 100 bn toe for Saudi Arabia, 10 bn toe for the North Sea and 5 bn toe for the Gulf of Mexico. Given the size of the resource, there has been relatively little interest from the international oil and gas industry. The primary factor limiting foreign investment is probably the lack of pipelines for oil and gas transport. Existing pipelines, built during the days of the USSR, connect with the Russian system in the north. The feasibility of completing pipelines to the south and west, some of which were started before the Iranian revolution, and reactivating those to the north is being studied. (UK)