Turkmenistan's Galkynysh field could yield 200 bcm of gas per year if developed in seven phases

ASHGABAT. April 26 (Interfax) - Turkmenistan's giant Galkynysh gas field could produce a steady 200 billion cubic meters of gas per year if it is developed in seven phases, Irina Luryeva, laboratory head at the Turkmengas State Concern's Natural Gas Research Institute, said at an international forum on attracting investments into Turkmenistan's energy sector in Dubai on Wednesday.

The Orient news agency quoted Luryeva as saying Galkynysh was at the pilot phase, and that gas recovery would increase. "We plan to achieve annual gas production of around 200 bcm form the field during commercial development," she said.

Luryeva also said the phased development of the field would regulate the flow of investment and take all the technical capabilities of the wells into account.

The Galkynysh development is currently being carried out in three phases. The second phase, involving China's CNPC, began in 2014. All three phases will increase commercial gas production from this field to 95 bcm. The Galkynysh reserves, including the Yashlar and Garakel fields, are estimated at 27.4 trillion cubic meters of gas.

The first phase yields 30 bcm of gas per year, some of which is supplied to the domestic market as well as to Chins through three strings of the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline.

Negotiations are underway and a contract on drilling and second phase facilities is being agreed upon. The gas produced will be used to supply China with an additional 25 bcm per year through the fourth string of the gas pipeline, which will be laid to China from Turkmenistan through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The third phase should supply 33 bcm of gas per year through the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline, which is currently under construction.

The fourth phase, according Turkmengas, might supply gas through a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, plans for which are only being discussed.

Experts estimate it is possible to implement seven phase of commercial development at Galkynysh, each of them producing 30 bcm per year. The recipients of gas from phases five to seven have not yet been specified.