OREANDA-NEWS. July 31, 2008. Not long ago the outskirts of the settlement of Kiyanly was absolutely unremarkable against a background of the monotonous shoreline. Today this part of the Caspian Sea coast looks unusually briskly. The large-scale processing enterprises and infrastructure of offshore oil and gas production – a very promising trend of the national strategy of development of the fuel and energy sector are under construction in the region.

The large-scale project on construction of a new oil and gas facility was launched in the littoral region last year. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov took part in the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the facility. The first project stage – construction of the gas storage and treating units with the capacity of 10 billion cubic meters a year was started. Upon completing construction in 2010 natural gas will be piped to Kiyanly from the offshore fields in the Block-1 contractual territory brought into service by Petronas Carigali Turkmenistan last year. Natural gas will be treated and export via the gas-transport system to the world consumer markets. That will enable to increase the potential of Turkmenistan’s oil and gas industry and create over 3,000 new jobs in Kiyanly as the President noted during the meeting with the Petronas top managers.

Offering the profound expertise and advanced hydrocarbon extraction technologies the Petronas Company assumed the obligations to construct the plant for assembling diver-based oil and gas offshore platforms in Kiyanly under this large-scale project. It is the first platform in Turkmenistan, which will service offshore drilling units. The dockyard facilities will be used to assemble other offshore units that will enable Turkmenistan to become a new service centre in the Caspian region for repairing and assembling offshore structures.

So that large-tonnage freight vessels shipping metal constructions and equipment to moor to the pier under construction the fairwater in this part of the sea has been deepened for several metres. The moorage for mooring and unloading the vessels was constructed there. The welding department and equipment depot were constructed nearby the assembly workshop. Within the nearest future the parts of a stationary platform, which will be assembled at the new workshop, will be delivered there from Malaysia.

The administrative building, office for clients, canteen, hostel for foreign specialists, first-aid post, gymnasium, sports grounds and other facilities were constructed in the territory of the new complex. Constricting the assembly plant in Kiyanly will be another step towards implementing Turkmenistan’s huge energy potential and enhancing international co-operation in the common interests.