OREANDA-NEWS. July 4, 2008. The XXI century project – the transnational gas pipeline that is to supply Turkmen natural gas to the People’s Republic of China starting from 2009 is in active preparation.

In accordance with the Resolution of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov the winner of the international tender Russian Stroytransgaz Public Corporation is to construct the 188-km Malay-Bagtyyarlyk gas pipeline 1,420 mm in diameter, compressor station, measuring units, gas treating and drying plants. The customer of the abovementioned facilities amounted to about 400 million euros (including VAT) is the Turkmengaz State Concern.

The special task team responsible for accelerating the construction and selecting the optimum pipeline route was established. It consists of the specialists of the Turkmengaz State Concern and the experts of the contractors – Russian Stroytransgaz and Belgian ENEX (the company will build a compressor station) made a working trip to the future pipeline construction site that would start in the Malay gas field.

To date, the ground areas for construction of the Malay-Bagtyyralyk gas pipeline of international importance across the Amu Darya River and the infrastructure facilities have been assigned. The general contractors are engaged in designing the necessary technical documentation and arranging delivery of heavy dumpers, pipes and construction equipment to the construction site.

Partnering on the large-scale project the Chinese companies Trans-Asia gaz pipeline Co. Ltd, CNPCIT and Petrochina International Co. Ltd are engaged in surveying the pipeline route from the Bagtyyarlyk contractual territory – the Turkmen section of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline. The endpoint of this route is on the Turkmen-Uzbek border under Turkmenistan’s terms of sale of natural gas on its border. Several days ago the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) launched the project on construction of a gas processing plant in Samandepe. Co-operation with these well-known oil and gas companies is a pledge of the success of the large-scale international project that will expand regional co-operation as well as strengthen Turkmenistan’s position as a world’s energy exporter that attaches paramount importance to development of its abundant hydrocarbon reserves and diversification of gas exports to the world markets.