Latest news with #Turkmengaz
Forbes
3 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
After 54 Years, Fires In The ‘Gates To Hell' May Finally Burn Out
The burning gas crater in Turkmenistan dubbed "Gateway to Hell.' During an international conference on hydrocarbon resources in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat earlier this month, Irina Luryeva, head of the scientific research institute in the state-owned energy company Turkmengaz, announced that the fires feed by natural methane seepage in the 'Gateway to Hell' are slowly burning out. "Whereas before a huge glow from the blaze was visible from several kilometers away, hence the name 'Gateway to Hell', today only a faint source of combustion remains," says Luryeva in a quote published by In January 2022, former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow appeared on state television announcing plans to 'close' the "Gates of Hell," a giant natural gas crater in the middle of the Karakum Desert, about 260 kilometers (160 miles) north of Ashgabat, citing pollution, health concerns and a loss of 'valuable natural resources.' The crater was (supposedly, as there are no official documents available) created in 1971 during a Soviet drilling accident that hit a gas cavern, causing the rig to fall in and the ground to collapse around it. The Soviets decided to burn off the gas by setting it on fire to prevent the dangerous fumes from spreading. Unfortunately, tapping into a vast natural reservoir of flammable methane gas, the pit has been burning since then, even growing in size over time. The now 70 meters (229 feet) wide and 20 meters (65 feet) deep crater was a popular tourist attraction, especially at night time. Officially named the "Shining of Karakum," the crater is also known as the Darvaza Crater, after the nearby village of Darvaza, and online as the 'Door to Hell', 'Gateway to Hell' or 'Gates of Hell' thanks to the boiling mud and roaring, red burning flames covering the crater floor. According to Luryeva, numerous wells have been drilled around the crater to release the methane in a controlled way and cut off the the flame's fuel supply. Turkmenistan possesses the world's fourth largest reserves of natural gas in its underground, exporting gas to countries such as Pakistan, China, India, Iran and Russia.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
The Gateway to Hell is Closing
Turkmenistan's "Gateway to Hell" is a fiery pit that has burned continuously since 1971. After over half a century, the inferno may finally be subsiding. Officially called the Darvaza crater, it sits in the middle of the Karakum Desert. How the 69m wide, and 30m deep hole formed is a bit of a mystery. Some believe the pit was created by Soviet geologists in 1971. While drilling for oil, they hit a vast underground gas pocket. The ground surrounding it collapsed, forming three huge sinkholes. To prevent the hazardous methane gas from escaping, the team set the crater on fire. Apparently, they assumed the fire burn out in a few weeks, but the flames have persisted for over five decades. Though this is the most common explanation, geologists from Turkmenistan have said the crater actually formed in the 1960s and was ignited in the 1980s. As its creation happened when Turkmenistan was part of the Soviet Union, any records to clarify the crater's origin are hard to come by. Regardless of its beginnings, the Darvaza crater has been a significant source of methane emissions. The greenhouse gas has gushed into the atmosphere for over 50 years. Turkmenistan has faced scrutiny for its methane output and inability to curb methane gas leaks. This not only produces harmful emissions but wastes natural gas. For decades, scientists and environmentalists have been calling for the fire to be extinguished. In recent years, the Turkmenistan government has intensified efforts to lessen the crater's environmental impact. By drilling several wells around the site to siphon off methane, engineers have reduces the fuel feeding the fire. Now, as a result, the flames have finally started to diminish. Irina Luryeva, a director at the state-owned energy company Turkmengaz, noted that the blaze, once visible from several kilometers away, now emits only a faint glow. Officials report that the fires are now three times smaller than they were. Yet this so-called Gateway to Hell has become the secretive country's top tourist attraction, drawing visitors intrigued by its otherworldly appearance. Tour operators have expressed concern over the potential decline in tourism as the flames wane.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
Earth's fiery ‘Door to Hell' is starting to close
The Earth is dotted with numerous 'gateways to Hell.' In the remote Siberian tundra, the Batagay Crater continues to expand as the world's largest permafrost slump, while Nicaragua's extremely active 'Masaya's Hell' caldera has spent years churning up lava and gas. But while other fiery holes rumble away, one of the most infamous so-called hell gates is slowing down for the first time since its accidental creation. Experts monitoring the fires inside the Darvaza Gas Crater (aka Turkmenistan's 'Door to Hell') say the human-made inferno seems to be finally diminishing after spending over half a century burning away millions of cubic meters' worth of natural gas every year. The exact cause behind the Darvaza Gas Crater—also known as the Shining of Karakum—remains a mystery, but sinkhole's broader origins likely trace back to 1971. Around that time, Soviet geologists surveying the region's vast fuel reserves appear to have accidentally drilled into a large underground gas pocket. The team then ignited the leaking fumes to prevent the wider release of toxic gas and prevent a major environmental disaster. The geologists allegedly hoped the resultant fires would burn out in a few weeks—instead, the blaze has continued for nearly 55 years. Currently, Turkmenistan's Door to Hell measures roughly 230 feet wide by 100 feet deep, and often exceeds 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit. It's estimated that the landmark attracts over 10,000 visitors every year. Meanwhile, the country's government has spent decades wrestling with how to best handle the constant blaze. But at a recent international conference on hydrocarbon development hosted in Turkmenistan's capital of Ashgabat, Darvaza's stewards say the Door to Hell may finally be shutting on its own. 'The reduction [in fires] is nearly threefold,' Irina Luryeva, director of the country's state-owned energy company Turkmengaz, told conference attendees last week. Whereas the crater's fiery illumination could once be seen from miles across the desert, Luryeva explained it's now only visible upon close inspection. They also added that recent efforts have concentrated on constructing multiple containment wells to capture the remaining leaking methane before it reaches the atmosphere. It's still unclear when Darvaza will close for good, but all current evidence suggests the end is finally near for Turkmenistan's Door to Hell.
Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Turkmenistan's ‘Gateway to Hell' fire, burning since 1971, now tamed
The 'Gateway to Hell', an enormous fire that has been raging in Turkmenistan for more than 50 years, has been tamed. The Turkmenistan government said that the authorities have been able to 'significantly reduce' the giant gas field fire at the Darvaza Gas Crater in the Karakum desert, which has been raging for more than half a century since 1971. According to the officials, the fire has been "reduced threefold." However, they did not specify the time frame within which this feat was achieved. "Whereas before a huge glow from the blaze was visible from several kilometres away, hence the name 'Gateway to Hell', today only a faint source of combustion remains,' Irina Luryeva, a director at state-owned energy company Turkmengaz, told news agency AFP. "Numerous wells have been drilled around the fire to capture methane," she said. Turkmenistan is one of the world's most closed countries. It is also estimated to have the world's fourth-largest gas reserves. Along with so much gas reserve, it is also the world's biggest emitter of methane through gas leaks, according to the International Energy Agency. The claim is denied by the local authorities. The Darvaza Gas Crater is a massive gas well that was ignited in 1971, when Turkmenistan was part of the Soviet Union. The crater, also known as the 'Gateway to Hell', ignited when Soviet scientists tried to experiment with it while looking for a solution to the region's excessive methane problem. A group of scientists travelled into the Karakum desert and dug a gigantic hole to study the methane leaks in the area. But what they didn't realise at the time was that they had accidentally drilled right into an underground gas field. The group decided to ignite the methane, hoping to solve the leakage problem by burning the gas off. But that simple decision created the longest continuously burning man-made fire in the world's history. The crater became a boon for Turkmenistan's economy by becoming a big tourist attraction, bringing in much-needed cash into the country. But the rightly named 'Gateway to Hell' also became a cause of severe environmental damage. While the fire was ignited in hopes of solving the methane problem in the area, it became a source of massive quantities of the gas, which is a big contributor to the global problem of climate change. According to a report by The Guardian, Methane leaks alone from Turkmenistan's two main fossil fuel fields cause more global heating a year than the entire carbon emissions of the UK.
NDTV
06-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Turkmenistan Says 'Gateway To Hell' Fire, Raging For Over 50 Years, Tamed
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. An enormous fire known as the 'Gateway to Hell' has burned in Turkmenistan for over 50 years. The Darvaza Gas Crater ignited in 1971 during a Soviet experiment to address methane leaks. Efforts to burn off methane led to the longest man-made fire in history, causing environmental damage. An enormous fire has been raging in Turkmenistan for more than 50 years and nobody has been able to tame it - yet. Known as the 'Gateway to Hell', the Darvaza Gas Crater is a massive gas well that got ignited back in 1971, when Soviet scientists tried to experiment with it. Back then, Turkmenistan was part of Soviet Union, and scientists were looking for a solution to the region's excessive methane problem. They traveled deep inside the Karakum desert and dug a gigantic hole to study the methane leaks emanating in the area. They accidentally drilled right into an underground gas field. Assuming that the fastest way to eradicate the methane leak problem was to burn it off, the scientists decided to ignite it. What followed next has become longest-ever continuously burning man-made fire in history. Though it fueled Turkmenistan's economy by becoming a tourist attraction, the 'Gateway to Hell' has caused severe environmental damage. Far from solving the methane problem, the blaze has been spewing out massive quantities of methane, a gas that contributes greatly to climate change. The current government in Turkmenistan took a pledge to do whatever it can to stop the huge blaze. This week, in a sudden announcement, they said that they have managed to significantly reduced the giant gas field fire "that has been raging for more than half a century". Officials said that the fire has been "reduced three-fold", but did not specify in what time frame. Speaking to news agency AFP, Irina Luryeva, a director at state-owned energy company Turkmengaz said, "Whereas before a huge glow from the blaze was visible from several kilometres away, hence the name 'Gateway to Hell', today only a faint source of combustion remains." "Numerous wells have been drilled around the fire to capture methane," she said at an environmental conference in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat on Thursday. Turkmenistan is one of the world's most closed countries and is estimated to have the world's fourth largest gas reserves. It is also the world's biggest emitter of methane through gas leaks, according to the International Energy Agency - a claim denied by the authorities. According to a report in British daily The Guardian, Methane leaks alone from Turkmenistan's two main fossil fuel fields causes more global heating a year than the entire carbon emissions of the UK.
