AEconomyIndependent states
Turkmen gas and the Galkynysh field
Turkmenistan holds some of the world's richest natural gas reserves; Galkynysh is the world's second-largest gas field.
Natural gas is the backbone of Turkmenistan's economy, and the Galkynysh field (formerly South Yolotan) in Mary Province is the second-largest gas field in the world.
The Central Asia–China pipeline, opened in 2009, links Turkmenistan to China's grid, carrying gas some 7,000 km as far as Shanghai; more than half of Turkmen gas exports go to China this way.
To diversify, the country is working on the TAPI pipeline to India via Afghanistan and Pakistan and on trans-Caspian projects.
Sources
Updated: October 3, 2026