Turkmenistan has a high resource and industrial potential, as well as natural and technological capabilities to turn the country into a major producer and exporter of strategically important oil and gas products.  The well-known Turkmen scientist, doctor of technical sciences and expert Allaberdy Ilyasov stated this in an analytical article.

 He noted that the large-scale industrialization of the Turkmen oil and gas sector was formulated in the presidential «Program for the development of the oil and gas industry of Turkmenistan for the period up to 2030.»  It outlines three major tasks – the industrialization of the oil and gas sector, providing domestic consumers with relevant products and increasing the export potential of the industry.

 Since the first days of independence, Turkmenistan has taken a course towards the development of the domestic processing industry in order to reduce the risks associated with raw material exports.  The commissioning of oil and gas fields is proportional to the growth in exports of Turkmen fuel, as well as the uninterrupted supply of raw materials to oil and gas processing facilities built in the country in recent years, the expert writes.

 He notes that at present such enterprises as the Kiyanly polymer plant for the production of various types of polyethylene and polypropylene from natural gas in the Balkan velayat and a plant for the production of gasoline from the same raw material in the village of Ovadandepe in the Akhal region are successfully operating.

 The analyst recalls that constant modernization is also taking place at the Turkmenbashi complex of oil refineries.  In cooperation with foreign companies, a number of installations have been put into operation here to increase the production of petrochemical products, modern technologies equipped with advanced resource-saving environmentally friendly equipment.

 Foreign specialists continue to build a complex of delayed coking and tar deasphalting units (DCU and DAU) at the TCOR.  This project uses the best available technology for this type of installation.  Personnel for work in the future workshop will undergo special training on a technological simulator for the operation of ultrasonic testing with a «virtual» imitation of the workplace.

 In 2016, the Seydi refinery, which is part of the Turkmenbashi complex, production of component for AI-95 gasoline with a reduced content of sulfur and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons started, the expert continues.

 In the same year, a modern technological plant for the production of road bitumen was put into operation.  The unique technology makes it possible to obtain road bitumen from Turkmen oil that meets international quality standards.

 According to the scientist, the use of new directions in the energy sector contributes to an increase in the production of petrochemical products.  We are talking about coiled tubing technology for well development, based on the use of flexible continuous pipes, which replace traditional prefabricated drilling rigs when working inside wells.

 Much attention is paid in the country to the requirements of environmental safety, the analyst writes.  To this end, highly efficient, low-cost oil refining technologies and new environmental protection systems are being developed and implemented.  This concept is aimed at social development and economic growth of the state, mainly without prejudice to natural resources and reducing the level of environmental pollution.