Scientific Research Institute of the Türkmengaz State Concern, Doctor of Geology and Mineralogy, author of 83 scientific publications, including three monographs and 30 handwritten works, Chary Mommiyevich PAYTYKOV. 

He led large scientific teams of developers of five-year comprehensive programs of the development of geological exploration for oil and gas in Turkmenistan. 

For his contribution to the discovery of mineral deposits, Chary Paytykov was awarded the Badge “Excellence in Geological Exploration” of the USSR Ministry of Geology, for his contribution to the development of geological science and geological exploration by the Decree of the President of Turkmenistan, he was awarded the Medal “For Love of the Motherland” in 2012, and the honorary title “Honored Worker of Industry of Turkmenistan” was conferred upon him in 2014. 

— “Chary Mommiyevich, they say that children who survived the difficult war years can easily overcome all difficulties in life.” 

— “Yes, that is true. I was born in the village of Uch-Aji, Bayramali district, on December 27, 1940. And when the war started, I was only six months old. My childhood fell on the war and post-war years, when the entire Soviet people, including the Turkmen, experienced great hardships and went through the most difficult ordeals. 

“However, I consider my childhood happy. In those days there was no television, internet, or mobile phones. But there are memories of how we, a gang of neighboring boys, spent all days long in the summer on the bank of our beloved Murghab River. We all swam very well and organized various water games and heats for long distances. We often went fishing. But when it was necessary, we conscientiously helped the elders pick cotton and thresh grain and collected scrap metal together. 

“Like everyone, I liked to read a lot. In the fourth grade, my photo was on the Board of Honor of the city library as the most active reader.” 

— “How did your life continue after such an interesting school period?” 

— “In 1959, after finishing school in the town of Mary, I entered the Turkmen Polytechnic Institute. During this period, the curriculum was approved, according to which the term of study was six years. At the same time, after the spring session, we were sent for four months to various production organizations of the Türkmengeologiýa and Türkmennebit State Concerns, where we were enrolled in paid jobs. As a rule, we worked not on the base of the expedition in the city, but in the desert – at the site of geological exploration. Only in the last courses we were entrusted with the position of a geological technician. It was a good curriculum, which made it possible to train good specialists. 

“In 1965, I graduated from the institute, received the specialty of a mining engineer-geologist and was sent to the Bayramali hydro-geological expedition, where I worked as a technician, senior technician and district geologist in my student years.” 

— “So, it was not difficult to enter the team?” 

— “Yes, the expedition team already knew me well and I was acquainted with the tasks and work process of the expedition. I worked at the expedition for three years and then decided to continue my studies. In 1967, I entered full-time postgraduate study at Gubkin Moscow Institute of Oil and Gas, from which I graduated in 1970 and successfully defended my candidate thesis. 

“After the completion of my postgraduate study, I was sent to the Turkmen Geological Prospecting Research Institute, where I worked as a senior researcher, head of a laboratory, head of the oil and gas department, deputy director and, from 1987 to 1993, director. Then I was transferred to the post of Chairman of the State Commission for Mineral Reserves of Turkmenistan, where I worked from 1994 to 1999. Currently I work as a leading researcher at the Natural Gas Research Institute of the Türkmengaz State Concern.” 

— “Chary Mommiyevich, what theme prevails in your scientific work?” 

— “My published and written works are devoted to three important topics – ‘Regularities of the location of hydrocarbon deposits’, ‘Prognostic assessment of hydrocarbon resources’ and ‘Geological and economic analysis of geological exploration for oil and gas and substantiation of effective areas of prospecting and exploration’. These topics are the subject of my doctoral thesis, which I defended in 1992 in Moscow on the theme ‘Oil and gas potential of Turkmenistan and the geological and economic aspects of its development’.” 

— “I heard that you had often visited Siberia. What was the purpose of these trips?” 

— “My colleagues and I had close creative ties not only with Moscow but also with Siberian scientists. We carried out joint research with a scientific team headed by a prominent and world-famous scientist, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexei Emilyevich Kontorovich. 

“I repeatedly participated in field expeditions with Siberian geologists within the Tunguz syneclise. All this not only replenished my geological knowledge base, but also taught me to globally evaluate the geological processes occurring both in the bowels of the earth and in its crust.” 

— “How do you assess the prospects for discovering new large oil and gas fields in our country?” 

— “The territory of Turkmenistan is well studied by geophysics and drilling to a depth of 4,000 meters. Owing to this, we discovered many oil and gas fields. In this regard, the main prospects must be associated with depths of 5-7 thousand meters. Drilling of wells at these depths has now begun. For example, our gas fields Galkynysh and Yashlar are located at a depth of 4-5 thousand meters. At a depth of 4,900-5,100 meters, oil deposits were discovered in North Koturtepe. Specialists of the Türkmennebit State Concern drilled the deepest well in Turkmenistan with a depth of 7,150 meters at the Uzynada area, from which a powerful gusher of gas condensate was received. It should be noted that drilling wells to such depths is a very labor- and capital-intensive process. Therefore, the discovery of deposits at these super-depths will require time and large investments.” 

— “Chary Mommiyevich, what is your personal contribution to exploration?” 

— “In recent years, I have substantiated and recommended the laying of wells for carbonate deposits in the Chalgerishbaba area with a depth of 4,500 meters in the zone of the Repetek-Kelif deep snap, where these deposits have not yet been taped by drilling. The zone is characterized by a complex geological structure and high prospects not only for gas, but also for oil. Therefore, initially I substantiated the prospects for the gas and oil potential of this zone and recommended three structures, Chalgerishbaba, Repetek and Martovskaya, for drilling. 

“When drilling recommended well No. 1 in the Chalgerishbaba area, at a depth of 4,113 meters, a brine occurrence took place, which led to the loss of the well. It should be noted that an oil show was recorded at the same time. This is a good geological sign. 

“At the request of the production workers, I justified the laying of the second well in this area with a depth of 4,750 m. It is currently in drilling and has reached a depth of 3,000 m. 

“Recently, we have developed, defended at the Scientific Council of the Institute and submitted for production the recommendation ‘Oil and gas content of the South Caspian basin at the current level of geological and geophysical knowledge of the interior’, in which an assessment of the directions of prospecting and exploratory drilling is given, and the depth of the lower boundary of the distribution of purely oil deposits is determined.” 

— “Have your children followed in your footsteps?” 

— “My wife Sulgun is a carpet weaver by profession. We raised four children – Sapar, Guljan, Gulshat and Rahman. All of them received higher economic education. But my grandchildren have followed in my footsteps. They work in the oil and gas industry. They are young now, but in the future, I think they will be able to continue the work I started, the successful implementation of which will make it possible to contribute to the transformation of our country into one of the most prosperous countries in the world.”

— “Chary Mommiyevich, I wish you every success in the implementation of the tasks set for the development of our country.” 

— “Thank you. And I wish you all the best in your work!” 

Ussa Ussayev.