Turkmenistan - Energy and power Turkmenistan is essentially
self-sufficient in energy resources, with natural gas by far the
most plentiful resource. Proven reserves of natural gas are
among the world's largest; in early 2002 they amounted to 2.9
trillion cu m, or about 2% of the world's total. Production in
2001 (excluding gas-flared or recycled) totaled 46.5 billion cu
m. Natural gas is found primarily near Mary; these fields in
south-central Turkmenistan account for 80% of annual production.
Turkmenistan is a major exporter of natural gas to the former
USSR, and is the only republic, besides Russia, to export to
Europe. Several former Soviet republics now owe significant
amounts of money to Turkmenistan, inclucing Ukraine, Georgia,
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan. In October 2000
Turkmenistan agreed to resume gas exports to Ukraine, which had
been interrupted since spring of 1999 because Ukraine had owed
$281million at that point. Turkmenistan is developing
alternatives to Russia's pipeline network