One of the priorities of the Natural Gas Research Institute of the State Concern ‘Türkmengaz’ is scientific support for the development of gas fields in Eastern and Central Turkmenistan. This was reported by the news website Asmannews.

For more than 40 years, the Institute has been engaged in geological exploration, reserve estimation, drilling design, gas preparation, transportation and processing, as well as environmental and technical-economic justification of projects.

Particular attention is paid to the Darwaza crater (‘Shining of Karakum’), located in the Central Karakum Desert. It was formed in 1963 after an emergency collapse of an exploration well, after which the escaping gas was set on fire to prevent poisoning. It was expected that the burning would quickly stop, but it continues to this day.

Studies have shown the complex geological structure of the Zeagli-Darwaza group of deposits with a large number of interconnected gas-bearing strata at depths of 200–950 metres. Nine fields are currently in commercial production, with gas being extracted from 45 wells.

The prolonged burning of the crater is due to gas flows between the layers, rather than the reserves of a single deposit. To solve the problem, the Institute's specialists proposed drilling an appraisal well at the Chaljulba field.

Intensive gas extraction has made it possible to change the direction of the flows and reduce the amount of gas entering the crater, creating conditions for the complete elimination of uncontrolled emissions, reducing environmental damage and making more rational use of resources.