Galkynysh Gas Field to Start Production by July

Turkmenistan is expected to begin production at the Galkynysh natural gas field by July.

Reuters has reported that the country plans to build two pipelines to carry gas from the field, one to Pakistan and India and the other crossing the Caspian Sea en route to the European Union.

Private estimates suggest that the Galkynysh field may hold between 13.1 trillion and 21.2 trillion cubic metres, Reuters added.

"Major works are being conducted at Galkynysh and the reserves are proven by an independent auditing company," the news agency quoted Kakageldy Abdullayev, chairman of Turkmen National gas company TurkmenGas as saying.

He said TurkmenGas was supplying around 20 billion cubic metres a year to China, which would rise to 65 billion cubic metres by 2020.

Abdullayev said China was not Turkmenistan's only focus. "We are open to everyone; Russia, China, India, Pakistan. We are not focusing on one country," he was quoted as saying.