China aims to increase gas import from Turkmenistan
By Nigar Abbasova
China, the world’s second largest economy, is interested in the increase of gas import from Turkmenistan, which holds the world's sixth largest natural gas reserves. The supply of natural gas from Turkmenistan to China is considered to be the solid foundation of the long-term and strategic economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
China, which is the largest foreign trade partner of Turkmenistan, intends to increase the daily volume of Turkmen gas import up to 65 billion cubic meters.
Most of Turkmenistan's proven gas reserves are located in the Amu Darya basin in the south-east and in the Murgab South Caspian basins in the western part of the country.
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), which is the largest integrated energy company in China, is considered to be the only foreign company directly operating in Turkmenistan with its involvement in Bagtyiarlyk project near the Amu Darya River. The company has been operating in Turkmenistan since 2002 and now has oil and gas assets in the country and provides oilfield services.
Central Asia-China gas pipeline is yet another project implemented by the two countries. Some 10.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas was supplied via the pipeline, which starts in Turkmenistan, in January-March 2016. The figure is by 33 percent more than in the same period of 2015, Chinese Xinhua news agency reported earlier.
The pipeline runs through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and crosses the Chinese-Kazakh border in Chinese city of Khorgas. The pipeline's length is 1,830 kilometers and its total capacity is to reach 55 billion cubic meters a year. The project, which is the first transnational gas pipeline in China is expected to be completed until 2020.
Meanwhile, the 4th session of the Turkmenistan-China intergovernmental committee on cooperation, which is scheduled for August 22-24 will be held in China’s Tianjin city, the Turkmen government said in a message on August 22.
China also intensively cooperates with Turkmenistan in the supply of equipment and services for transportation and communications. The two countries have great potential to increase economic ties.
China expressed its interest in increasing the supplies of cotton fiber, vegetable products, fruit and berry crops and certain raw materials produced by poultry and livestock complexes of Turkmenistan.
Moreover, cooperation in such spheres of the economy as the transportation, electricity, chemical and textile industry, construction materials, agriculture and urban development are also considered as promising areas of cooperation between the two countries.
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Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova
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