Partnership "Under Ground"
Topic: Economy & business
Ukrainian specialists are laying down the unique communication and drainage tunnel

Most of the modern facilities in Ashgabat are either built according to the unique projects or have no match in the region with regard to their scale and applied technologies. This is the main peculiarity the country’s leadership adopted in its approaches to the development of the capital. Everything here is done with consideration of the long-term perspective and according to the highest international standards. It is not by chance that two years ago the program of Ashgabat’s water supply and sewage systems development until 2050 was worked out and adopted under the patronage of the head of state. The program provides for several stages of this large-scale project’s realization.

Indicators of this document were calculated based on the forecast that the Turkmen capital’s population would grow up to 1.100 million people by the end of 2010. By this time, the daily water consumption in the city is expected to rise to 400 liters per capita. The overall discharge of sewage is to reach 600 thousand cubic meters a day, up 25 per cent on the current level.

In the remaining period until the end of 2010, the municipal services will have to lay 350 km of water supply pipes, put into operation a new water supply facility, “Severniy”. Four operational sewage collector systems will be renovated and two more collectors will be built.

By 2006, the capacity of the city water supply networks is expected to rise up to 900 thousand cubic meters a day enabling it to serve the population of 1.700 million people. Thus, the problem of sewage as well as the water supply task are being solved taking into account the 50-year perspective.

One of the principal stages of such large-scale program’s implementation is connected with laying down a communication and drainage tunnel. This project is currently being implemented by the Ukrainian company, “Interbudmontazh”.

This facility is one of the areas of the investment cooperation between Turkmenistan and Ukraine. The problem of the longstanding Ukrainian debt for supplied Turkmen gas played a major role in resorting to such kind of cooperation. Since Ukraine had no cash to pay the debts Ashgabat agreed to the proposal to use investment projects in the territory of Turkmenistan as a solution of this problem. Thus, the Ukrainian specialists got new jobs, and the Turkmen side – a number of objects constructed by the partners for debts repayment.

Later, when Kiev succeeded in liquidating the arrears accumulated in the past, the sides decided to continue such model of cooperation beneficial for both countries. As a result, for instance, the agreement on Turkmen gas supplies in 2005 stipulates that 4.5 billion cub m of gas out of the general volume of 36 billion cub m will be delivered as a payment for investment projects implemented by the Ukrainian companies. These projects include construction of a number of compressor stations, a railway and motorway bridge across the Amudarya river and a communication-drainage tunnel in Ashgabat.

“There are a few such projects in the world,” says the Ashgabat office of Ukrainian “Interbudmontazh” company. “The 22-km tunnel with the diameter varying from 3 to 6 m, equipped with the drainage wells and horizontal self-discharging holes will be also used to lay trunk sewage and water supply systems, power cables and communication lines. The tunnel’s size makes it possible for the service personnel to move along it using special repair battery-driven vehicles”.

On August 31, 2001, the city’s administration and Construction Association “Interbudmontazh” signed a construction contract. The first line of the project shall be commissioned in mid next year.

The tunnel built 12-17 m under the ground with the total value of US $ 204 million will “hide” all communication systems and make it possible to operate them more effectively avoiding cases of trenching through the avenues to conduct repair works which is a natural scene in big cities. The multifunctional facility will accommodate the trunk power cables, water pipes, heating system, sewage and communication lines.

“Interbudmontazh” was awarded another contract to drain the sewage outside of the city. It deals with designing and construction of sewage treatment plants with the capacity of 300,0 thousand cub m a day with the 3.5 km long discharge collector and 10.5 km long end parts of the drainage collectors of the drainage-communication tunnel.

It should be noted that the Ukrainian company attaches great importance not only to the quality of works but also to the timely commissioning of the facility. Much is done to train local specialists who will be entrusted with maintaining this tunnel in the near future. Young men from Turkmenistan have the opportunity to get education in the educational establishments of Ukraine. As for those Turkmen citizens that are currently engaged in building this original “municipal metro”, they are also receiving the invaluable experience.

Kakamurad ANNAGELDIEV

Turkmenistan Analytic Magazine

Turkmenistan to Weave Countrywide Textile Network by 2010
Topic: Economy & business
Ashgabat, 27 May 2005 (nCa) --- Addressing the opening ceremony of a couple of textile mills Thursday, President Niyazov announced that by 2010 the remaining 26 districts of Turkmenistan would have at least one textile complex each.

His remarks came during the inauguration of two textile units, one in VekilBazaar district of Mary province and the other in Halach district of Lebap province.

At present 21 districts have got textile processing and production facilities, a quantum jump since independence when only Ashgabat, Mary and Turkmenabat (then Charjou) had some rudimentary textile mills and the rest of the cotton of Turkmenia SSR was sent by the red Kremlin to Ivanov industrial town near Moscow for processing.

Under the national development programme up to 2020, Turkmenistan is building its textile complex on the principle that any district that wants to have a textile unit should be able to produce adequate volume of cotton to keep the factory running.

The VekilBazaar textile complex built by Angin-led consortium combines spinning, dyeing, weaving and stitching felicities. Spread over an area of 20 hectares, it can process 10220 tons of cotton yarn annually to produce 63.7 million square meters of fabric.

Swiss and Belgian machinery has been used in the factory and it has opened 300 new job vacancies for the local population.

Angin Kaliy (phonetically spelled), Head of Angin was present during the opening ceremony. His group of companies has already built textile factories in TakhtaBazaar, TurkmenKalla and SakarChag districts of Mary province.

Another textile factory was opened in Halach district of Lebap province. This factory has been built by the Turkish company Norsel, one of the oldest foreign companies in Turkmenistan. First phase of the factory had been opened earlier and now the factory has been completed according to planned specifications. The entire project cost US $ 27 million.

The Halach factory is equipped with German and Swiss machinery. It is designed to process 10100 tons of cotton fiber annually. It can produce 9100 tons of quality yarn and a wide range of downstream products. Most of the products of Halach are expected to find an export market, with the likely annual profit of 60 billion Manats.

Based on the quality of Halach factory, President Niyazov asked the head of Norsel to start another textile project in the locality in January 2006. The new project would be a composite unit, taking in raw cotton and churning out garments and textile made-ups.

Niyazov also asked the ministry of textiles and Turkish company Gap Inshaat to design another textile project for Turkmenabat district. He also said that by 2010, all the cotton producing districts would have at least one textile complex each.

The Turkmen president went on to praise Turkmen-Turkish relations. "Relations between Turkmenistan and Turkey are unique and need no political back-up. These relations are based on mutual advantage and benefit. And no party or state leaders are involved in this process," Nyyazow said, adding: "Turkmenistan is ready to back up Turkey and to come to its assistance whenever Turkey has any trouble and needs assistance."

British Ambassador Makes Farewell Call on Niyazov
Topic: Foreign Relations
Ashgabat, 7 June 2005 (nCa) --- Ambassador Paul Brummell made Monday farewell call on President Saparmurat Niyazov. His tenure as British ambassador to Turkmenistan is coming to an end.

President Niyazov thanked Ambassador Brummell for his exceptional efforts in promoting Ashgabat as regional peace centre where international community can join hands in finding solutions for global stability and development. He also thanked the British envoy for building on already excellent relations between the Great Britain and Turkmenistan.

Ambassador Brummell expressed his gratitude to Niyazov for extending all possible support in building the traditional ties between the two countries.

Brummell has been one of the most successful ambassadors in Turkmenistan. His stay in Ashgabat would be long remembered for the rich tapestry of cultural and social events that he kept going during the three years of his stay here.

Besides enriching the social life of Ashgabat, Brummell worked on a number of multifarious projects to integrate Turkmenistan into the international community.

Source: www.newscentralasia.com

The Castle Where the Fairy Tale to Live
Topic: Turkmen Culture
March 31, 2005. Every child likes fairy tales, believes in all amazing transformations and wonders happened to the heroes, who take children into the journey and do great deeds in the name of the good and beauty, love and friendship. The main idea of the project for construction of the new building of the Turkmen State Puppet-Show Theatre is to built the fabulous castle of exciting adventures and mysteries where the heroes of various fairy tales will live inviting the children in the world of fantasy and creation.

The castle designed in the oriented style will be constructed in the big district in the southern part of Ashgabat. The 35-metre tower crowned with a spire will be erected in the centre of the architectural ensemble. Two other towers with spires will adjoin the complex from both sides. The sculptural figures of the puppets placed in the base of the side towers will meet the guests. A white-marble semicircular colonnade as if embracing the facade will add solemnity to the building.

The ancient traditions of national architecture as well as modern tendencies in architecture were taken into consideration while developing the project. The unique architectural complex will become an architectural pearl of Ashgabat and one of the most beautiful buildings in Central Asia.

The up-to-date stage equipment will allow holding mass actions, children’s creation contests and film festivals. An auditorium designed for 350 seats with the stage of 180 square metres equipped with the lifting and expanding devices and an auditorium for 200 seats with the 126-squaremetre stage with a revolving mini stage are to be built. A puppet museum and cafe are to be on the ground floor of the theatre. The total area of the theatre complex makes up 7,600 square metres and the total area of the adjacent territory 25,000 square metres.

The new theatre is to be opened in October.

By Tamara Glazunova

Source: Turkmenistan: the Golden Age

Malaysian oil company Petronas plans to invest over $210 million in Turkmenistan
Topic: Economy & business
9 June, 2005. Malaysian state oil company Petronas that has been prospecting the Turkmen sector of the Caspian sea since 1996, plans to invest over $210 million in this area, the Turkmen government official told Reuters.

“Petronas will continue exploration works at offshore oil blocks worth US $ 210 mln and hopes to get the early oil by this autumn,” he said on Thursday.

Petronas was the first foreign company to sign an oil and gas production sharing agreement (PSA) with Turkmenistan on Block-1 which includes three oil fields, Gubkina, Jdanova and Livanovo.

According to the Turkmen source, the company plans to bring in an additional drilling rig and to drill three more testing wells by the end of the year. At the same time, the company will build an infrastructure to ensure the transportation of crude.

Petronas is currently holding talks on the mechanism of realization of hydrocarbons.

Exploration works conducted in the last years proved that, apart from oil, Block-1 contains great volumes of associated gas. In this regard, Ashgabat asked Petronas to help build a gas pipeline along the Caspian Sea coast to Russia.

Apart from Petronas, four more foreign companies operate in Turkmenistan: Maersk Oil, Burren Energy, Mitro International and Dragon Oil. They are implementing two onshore and three offshore projects. Only Dragon Oil deals with oil output in the sea.

German Wintershall is going to start prospecting works on the Caspian Sea this summer. PSA are expected to be signed with Dutch Berlanga, Russian Zarubezhneft and Rosneft and Itera’s subsidiary Gazhiminvest, LUKoil and other companies.

Ashgabat claims that hydrocarbon reserves of the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea are estimated at 11 bln tonnes of oil and 5,5 trillion cub. m. of gas. Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran are still at odds over the final division of the Caspian resources.

Source: REUTERS