In an interview to CentralAsia.news, the famous Turkmen expert, Doctor of Technical Sciences Allaberdi Ilyasov drew attention to the high resource and industrial potential of Turkmenistan. The scientist noted that the state has significant natural and technological capabilities to become a major producer and exporter of strategic oil and gas products to the world market.
Issues and solutions
The large-scale industrialization of the economy of Turkmenistan is determined by the ambitious goals and objectives of the reform policy set by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and designed to steadily improve the standard of living and well-being of the Turkmen people. In this regard, the «Program for the Development of the Oil and Gas Industry of Turkmenistan until 2030» provides for measures to further develop production capacities, diversify production facilities, re-equip them, and master large investments in various areas of this industrial situation in the country.
The strategy of the head of the state in the economy is aimed at its further diversification. Industrialization of the oil and gas sector, providing domestic consumers with appropriate products and increasing the export potential of the industry are the three main tasks of specialists. The instructions were given by Berdimuhamedov within his working trip to Mary and Lebap provinces.
And today, work on the production of high-quality products, namely: rational use of hydrocarbon resources, in-depth processing of oil and gas, production of competitive, environmentally friendly oil and gas products is carried out successfully.
Turkmenistan has chosen the path of the development of the domestic processing industry in order to reduce the risks associated with raw materials exports. Putting oil and gas fields into commercial operation is proportional to the growth in the export of Turkmen fuel, as well as to the uninterrupted supply of raw materials to the oil and gas processing facilities built in the country.
Thus, the Kiyanly Polymer Plant which produces polyethylene and polypropylene of natural gas, and the Plant for the production of gasoline of natural gas in Ovadandepe village, the Akhal province, are successfully producing their products. And this is just one example of a successful industrial expansion of the economy.
Flagships of the economy
At present, a number of installations have been put into operation at the Turkmenbashi Complex of Oil Refineries. The facilities make it possible to increase the volume of production of petrochemical products. Modern resource-saving environmentally friendly technologies were integrated at the TCOR by leading foreign companies. So, for example, in 2016 at the Seydi Oil Refinery, which is part of the Turkmenbashi complex, the production of a component for AI-95 gasoline was launched. Its characteristics include a reduced content of sulfur and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
In 2016, a modern technological unit for the production of road bitumen was put into operation at the Seydi Oil Refinery. The unique technology makes it possible to produce road bitumen pf Turkmen oil that meets international quality standards.
Important indicators for bitumen are the depth of penetration, softening temperature, and extensibility. The standards determine the value of quality indicators, which reflects the optimal composition of bitumen. For different areas of use, the composition of bitumen is different. In the manufacture of asphalt pavements, road bitumen acts as a binding component. Crushed stone, sand and other components of asphalt concrete become a homogeneous mass. At the same time, the quality of the roadway largely depends on the quality of the road bitumen, as well as on its compliance with state standards.
The use of such bitumen in road construction can significantly increase the life of the roadway and avoid the defects.
Key aspects of production
The creation of modern, high-tech and efficient production lines on the basis of the TCOR meets the objectives of the state «Program for the Development of the Oil and Gas Industry of Turkmenistan until 2030». One of the key aspects of the program is to increase production of high-quality petrochemical products.
At the TCOR, foreign specialists continue the construction of a complex of delayed coking and tar deasphalting units. This construction uses the best available technology for this type of plant. In general, the technologies tested in Russia, Europe, and the USA will be debugged at the ultrasonic inspection and tar deasphalting unit on an industrial scale.
In order to train industrial personnel for work in the future workshop, a technological simulator for the operation of ultrasonic testing will be developed. This simulator will train operators in «virtual» work prior to completion of construction and commissioning of the workshop itself. This approach will increase safety during commissioning.
New horizons
The construction of high-tech industries creates broad prospects for the successful development of the fuel and energy complex of the country. The head of the state has initiated a number of large-scale innovative projects that are important for further disclosing the economic potential of the oil and gas industry of Turkmenistan. The introduction of advanced technologies ensures further gas processing with the subsequent manufacture of more valuable products that are in great demand on foreign markets.
For example, the production of industrial gases required in the sectors of the national economy will become an additional source of income in export supplies. This requires air separation plants — equipment for air separation into components, namely, oxygen, nitrogen, argon, neon, xenon, krypton.
The gas composition of air on Earth is the same, with the exception of carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons and ammonia, the concentration of which is lower than the content of oxygen and nitrogen. It is difficult to name those spheres of the national economy where technical gases are not used — chemicals that are used in technological processes for various purposes.
First of all, it is the oil and gas complex. The scale of this industry speaks of its importance as a cryogenic equipment market. The use of nitrogen in oil and gas production received a boost along with coiled tubing deposit development technology.
Coiled tubing technologies are one of the most promising and developing areas of specialized equipment for the oil and gas industry. It is based on the use of continuous coiled tubing, which replaces traditional collecting drill pipes for downhole operations. Injection of gaseous nitrogen from a nitrogen unit is the most promising way of lowering the bottomhole pressure level, which ensures the simplicity and reliability of the process control over a wide range.
Ecology industry
In Turkmenistan, along with the use of new technologies in industry, special attention is paid to the requirements of environmental safety. It is no coincidence that during the working trip to two regions, the head of the state drew attention to the effective nature of the Karakum Desert.
The solution of environmental problems in the field of oil and gas processing requires the development and implementation of highly efficient, low-cost technologies for oil refining and new systems of environmental protection. Such a concept should be considered as a model that is aimed at social development and economic growth mainly due to intensive factors without damage to natural resources and without an increase in the level of environmental pollution.
Relevant areas in solving environmental problems in the production and processing of oil and gas are such aspects as the development of environmentally friendly processes and waste disposal, cleaning gas emissions from petrochemical industries, cleaning wastewater from oil and oil products, etc. In this regard, the oil and gas complex of Turkmenistan not only forms the structure of the economy, but also plays a decisive role at all stages of its development. It is also highly important in the formation of the gross domestic product and export potential of the country.
In connection with the renewal of the technological arsenal, greenhouse gas emissions in Turkmenistan have significantly decreased. The priority goals of increasing technological and economic efficiency in the oil and gas sector are the large-scale introduction into production of new advanced energy efficient technologies and the latest achievements of world science throughout the entire production cycle: from exploration, development of oil and gas fields to transportation, storage and use of oil and gas.
Priorities of the economy
Realization of the potential of the oil and gas industry of Turkmenistan largely depends on the priorities set by the state. Structural projects of the fuel and energy complex, achieving economic benefits during the implementation of the development concept until 2030, are of great importance in increasing production resources and export capabilities of structures. Therefore, the industry is the most important component of the national economy of Turkmenistan.
Transport corridors are of great importance for the joint work of our state with other countries, the development of the transport industry in solving economic problems, and, above all, in the oil and gas sector. Turkmenistan is actively working on the formation of multimodal transport and transit corridors, and this work has a beneficial effect on the development of trade and economic ties at the regional and international levels.
For example, the geographical location of the Seydi Oil Refinery increases the capacity and range of products, expands the possibilities for the effective implementation of the transit and transport potential of Turkmenistan. It also intersects with the energy and communication sectors of the Eurasian continent, integration into the system of modern international economic relations.
Enterprises of the domestic fuel and energy complex are gradually implementing large-scale projects aimed at diversifying the oil and gas industry. They are developing its industrial potential, transport infrastructure and increasing the export of demanded energy resources to the markets of Pakistan, Afghanistan, India with access to the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. The provision of Turkmenistan with a clearly formed system of transport and logistics services is a factor of a progressing economy.
