China Turkey energy cooperation reaches another milestone! PetroChina won the 10 billion cubic meter natural gas processing plant project in Turkmenistan, which will not only improve the gas supply capacity of Central Asia to China, but also be a key solution for the strategic docking of the the Belt and Road Initiative and the revitalization of the Silk Road, helping regional energy security and green transformation.

The results of the high-level meeting in Beijing a week ago quickly translated into practical actions. The subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation will design and construct this giant processing plant, and drill supporting production wells. After the project is implemented, China's total annual natural gas processing capacity in Central Asia will exceed 25 billion cubic meters, further consolidating the stability of the China Central Asia energy corridor.

The story begins with a desert called 'Galginish'. The underground here contains 27.4 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, equivalent to nearly one tenth of the world's proven reserves. Since its operation in 2013, this gas field covering over 5000 square kilometers has been like a sleeping giant, waiting to be fully awakened. Now, the key to awakening it has been handed over to Chinese builders.

Today's Desert Blueprint

Let's go back to last week, Beijing.   The two sides unanimously stressed that we should accelerate the docking of the the Belt and Road Initiative and the Silk Road strategy of Turkey's revitalization, and especially expand the scale of cooperation in the field of natural gas.

High level orientation, rapid enterprise development. Just one week later, the Turkmenistan government officially authorized its national natural gas company to sign this heavyweight contract with China Petroleum Amu Darya Oil and Gas Company. According to the agreement, China will be responsible for the entire process from design to construction, and will build a commercial natural gas processing plant with an annual processing capacity of up to 10 billion cubic meters in the Galginish gas field. This is not only another simple energy order, but also a manifestation of the "Chinese speed" of transforming political mutual trust and strategic coordination between the two countries into practical results.

The Chinese plan to awaken giant beasts

To meet the huge demand of this new processing plant, gas supply is the key. Therefore, the contract is not limited to surface facilities, but also includes drilling a series of high-capacity production wells, directly exploring the center of the earth, to ensure the continuous transportation of natural gas to the processing plant.

For PetroChina, this is not the first operation in Turkmenistan. Prior to this, China National Petroleum Corporation had successfully built and operated multiple natural gas processing plants in the country, with a combined annual processing capacity of over 15 billion cubic meters. After purification, these natural gases are continuously injected into the China Central Asia natural gas pipeline, crossing mountains and deserts, and ultimately reaching thousands of households in China. The addition of this billion cubic meter project means that China Petroleum's total annual natural gas processing capacity in Turkmenistan will achieve a huge leap, and China's position as an energy "processing center" in Central Asia will become more stable.

The strategic corridor behind 25 billion cubic meters

The significance of this newly built billion cubic meter processing plant goes far beyond an isolated project. It is the core hub that connects resource areas with consumer markets. After processing, the natural gas from the Galginish gas field will flow into the existing China Central Asia natural gas pipeline network. This energy artery is like the contemporary 'Silk Road', closely combining Turkmenistan's resource advantages with the huge demand of the Chinese market, and jointly writing a mutually beneficial and win-win chapter.

The advancement of the project directly strengthens the resource guarantee capability of the China Central Asia natural gas pipeline, making this multi country energy lifeline more abundant and reliable. It is not only the ballast stone for China and Turkmenistan to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership, but also sets a new benchmark for the connectivity of energy infrastructure of countries along the the Belt and Road. When the factories in the desert are built and put into operation, it will be the day when the power of this cross Eurasian energy corridor becomes even more surging.Editor/Yang Meiling