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Int'l Business Times
6 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
Turkmenistan's Methane-spewing 'Gateway To Hell' Loses Its Anger
People go to the "Gateway to Hell" gas crater in the middle of the Turkmenistan desert expecting an angry cauldron but are now coming away unimpressed. Once a giant uncontrollable pit of red flames and glowing red embers, the 70-metre (230 feet) wide hole is now just a charred cauldron with only a few pockets of small fires. After letting it burn for 50 years, authorities in the reclusive Central Asian state have finally moved to put out the fire, which spews huge quantities of methane into the atmosphere. "I'm a little disappointed," said Irina, 35, who travelled five hours north from the capital Ashgabat to get to see what she thought would be an inferno in the Karakum desert. "On the internet we saw impressive pictures of burning flames. Now we realise they were old photos and videos. The reality is different," she told AFP. Reducing the fire is an important step for Turkmenistan's climate ambitions. The world's biggest methane emitter through gas leaks, according to the International Energy Agency, it has committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. But putting out the fire means killing off the Darvaza gas crater as the country's top tourist attraction. Several nearby wells have been drilled to reduce the flow of gas. "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 a conference in June. The road from Ashgabat to the crater is covered with cracks and potholes, making the journey for would-be tourists treacherous. "You have to swerve round the potholes and sand dunes, risking your life," driver Aman, 28, told AFP at a gas station on the way. The desert covers some 80 percent of the country and sees temperatures soar to more than 50C in summer and plunge to minus 20C in the winter. It is also home to vast natural resources, with Turkmenistan estimated to have the world's fourth largest gas reserves. It was Soviet scientists, exploring the region's potential, who set the crater on fire after they accidentally drilled into an underground pocket of gas in 1971. "There was a danger of poisoning the local population and farm animals, so the geologists decided to set it on fire, hoping that it would soon burn out," said Turkmen geologist Anatoly Bushmakin. "However, the crater is still burning," he added. Under long-time president, now 'father-of-the-nation', Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Turkmenistan had flipped between wanting to tame the crater or use it to boost tourism to the isolated country. In 2022, Berdymukhamedov finally ordered it be extinguished completely -- citing both environmental and economic concerns. It "has a negative impact on both the environment and the health of people living nearby," he said. "Valuable natural resources are being lost, the export of which could generate significant profits and be used to improve the well-being of our people," he added. Turkmenistan has also signed up to the Global Methane Pledge, which aims for a 30-percent global reduction in methane emissions by 2030. But not everybody is on board with the plan. Locals that relied on the the draw of the pit's spectacular appearance for their income are worried. "If Darvaza stops burning completely, many tourist companies will lose income," said Ovez Muradov, 43, who works in a tour agency in Ashgabat. The Gateway to Hell was one of the only tourist attractions in Turkmenistan, one of the most closed and repressive countries in the world, according to rights groups. The country sees hardly any foreign visitors, though leaders have talked up the prospects of boosting numbers. Muradov said extinguishing the fire would douse those ambitions. "I'm no expert, but I don't think the extinguished crater will have much impact on the environment, but the tourism industry will lose a significant chunk of income." Reducing the fire is an important step for Turkmenistan's climate ambitions AFP Soviet scientists set the crater on fire in 1971 after they accidentally drilled into a pocket of gas AFP The pit used to be a cauldron of angry flames visible from kilometres away AFP
Metro
09-06-2025
- General
- Metro
The ‘Gate to Hell' has been open for 50 years but is finally burning out
The Gate to Hell has been open since the 1980s – but it might finally be running out of gas. Deep in the arid desert of Turkmenistan, a huge crater has been burning with the wrath of a thousand flames, night and day, day and night. Tourists flock to its precipitous edges, while after dark, spiders are drawn to its brilliant glow, hypnotically crawling to a fiery death. But this isn't Hell. It's a massive hole accidentally set alight for decades by Soviet engineers. Obviously. Now, it looks like it is finally burning out, after the government launched a bid to deprive it of the methane it needs to keep burning. Satellite images show how it is now just smoldering in the desert, a far cry from the sheet of fire once seen for miles which earned its nickname. AKI news agency, based in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, reported that the burning has reduced by more than three times compared to August 2023. Irina Luryeva, of the Research Institute of Natural Gas of the Turkmengas Concern said increased gas production nearby made it possible 'to take control of the filtration flow, now the gas supply to the burning crater is gradually decreasing.' No-one knows how the pit, officially called the Darvaza crater, was first formed before it was set aflame. Perhaps there was simply no one around. Or maybe it's classified. Some believe engineers were drilling for oil when a rig gave way and punched into a massive underground natural gas cavern, forming the huge crater, 70 metres wide and 30 metres deep. Whatever its origin, it's fair to say its legendary status hails from one very bad decision. In the 1980s, as the crater continued leaking poisonous gases, those in the know thought the best solution was to simply burn them off. Side note: Turkmenistan has the sixth largest gas reserves in the world. Enough to keep aglow for quite some time. And so, 50 years on, it relentlessly rumbled on, burning methane that would really be better off in the ground. Former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov demanded that a plan to finally extinguish the crater should be put in place, as far back as 2010. Up Next In 2022, he appeared on state television to tell officials to put out the hellish flames, saying the human-made crater 'negatively affects both the environment and the health of the people living nearby'. He added: 'We are losing valuable natural resources for which we could get significant profits and use them for improving the wellbeing of our people', and instructed officials to 'find a solution to extinguish the fire'. It took until the following year for the plan to actually take shape – and even now, it hasn't gone out completely. Turkmenistan: the lowdown Turkmenistan is 80% desert Turkmen melons have their own national holiday Turkmenistan has the sixth largest oil and natural gas reserves in the world It is one of the least visited countries in the world, reporting 14,438 tourists in 2019. It just reopened for tourists in 2023 The country had a President for Life, Saparmurat Niyazov, until his death in 2006. He ruled for 21 years. The country formed a space agency in 2011, and launched a satellite in 2015 Only one man has ever descended into the Gates of Hell, explorer George Kourounis. During his visit met with local geologists 'who have been there for decades', and said the collapse may have happened in the 1960s. 'It's hard for me to back that up, but this is basically straight from the horse's mouth,' said Mr Kourounis. But anything is possible when there are no records to confirm or deny. 'Day or night, it is clearly burning. You can hear the roar of the fire if you stand at the edge,' said Mr Kourounis. 'The heat, if you are downwind of it, is unbearable. 'There are thousands of little flames all around the edges and towards the centre. Then there are two large flames in the middle at the bottom, and that is probably where the drilling rig hole was for the natural gas extraction.' But its mystery origin is now secondary, as there's a bigger problem at hand – climate change. Burning gas 24/7 isn't a great look in 2024. It is still alight for now. So as the Gates of Hell continue to burn, tourists will flock to the landlocked Asian country to get a last glimpse of this strange, and disastrous, human error.
Metro
09-06-2025
- General
- Metro
The 'Gate to Hell' has been open for 50 years but is finally burning out
The Gate to Hell has been open since the 1980s – but it might finally be running out of gas. Deep in the arid desert of Turkmenistan, a huge crater has been burning with the wrath of a thousand flames, night and day, day and night. Tourists flock to its precipitous edges, while after dark, spiders are drawn to its brilliant glow, hypnotically crawling to a fiery death. But this isn't Hell. It's a massive hole accidentally set alight for decades by Soviet engineers. Obviously. Now, it looks like it is finally burning out, after the government launched a bid to deprive it of the methane it needs to keep burning. Satellite images show how it is now just smoldering in the desert, a far cry from the sheet of fire once seen for miles which earned its nickname. AKI news agency, based in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, reported that the burning has reduced by more than three times compared to August 2023. Irina Luryeva, of the Research Institute of Natural Gas of the Turkmengas Concern said increased gas production nearby made it possible 'to take control of the filtration flow, now the gas supply to the burning crater is gradually decreasing.' No-one knows how the pit, officially called the Darvaza crater, was first formed before it was set aflame. Perhaps there was simply no one around. Or maybe it's classified. Some believe engineers were drilling for oil when a rig gave way and punched into a massive underground natural gas cavern, forming the huge crater, 70 metres wide and 30 metres deep. Whatever its origin, it's fair to say its legendary status hails from one very bad decision. In the 1980s, as the crater continued leaking poisonous gases, those in the know thought the best solution was to simply burn them off. Side note: Turkmenistan has the sixth largest gas reserves in the world. Enough to keep aglow for quite some time. And so, 50 years on, it relentlessly rumbled on, burning methane that would really be better off in the ground. Former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov demanded that a plan to finally extinguish the crater should be put in place, as far back as 2010. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In 2022, he appeared on state television to tell officials to put out the hellish flames, saying the human-made crater 'negatively affects both the environment and the health of the people living nearby'. He added: 'We are losing valuable natural resources for which we could get significant profits and use them for improving the wellbeing of our people', and instructed officials to 'find a solution to extinguish the fire'. It took until the following year for the plan to actually take shape – and even now, it hasn't gone out completely. Turkmenistan is 80% desert Turkmen melons have their own national holiday Turkmenistan has the sixth largest oil and natural gas reserves in the world It is one of the least visited countries in the world, reporting 14,438 tourists in 2019. It just reopened for tourists in 2023 The country had a President for Life, Saparmurat Niyazov, until his death in 2006. He ruled for 21 years. The country formed a space agency in 2011, and launched a satellite in 2015 Only one man has ever descended into the Gates of Hell, explorer George Kourounis. During his visit met with local geologists 'who have been there for decades', and said the collapse may have happened in the 1960s. 'It's hard for me to back that up, but this is basically straight from the horse's mouth,' said Mr Kourounis. But anything is possible when there are no records to confirm or deny. 'Day or night, it is clearly burning. You can hear the roar of the fire if you stand at the edge,' said Mr Kourounis. 'The heat, if you are downwind of it, is unbearable. More Trending 'There are thousands of little flames all around the edges and towards the centre. Then there are two large flames in the middle at the bottom, and that is probably where the drilling rig hole was for the natural gas extraction.' But its mystery origin is now secondary, as there's a bigger problem at hand – climate change. Burning gas 24/7 isn't a great look in 2024. It is still alight for now. So as the Gates of Hell continue to burn, tourists will flock to the landlocked Asian country to get a last glimpse of this strange, and disastrous, human error. MORE: 6,000-year-old mystery skeletons could rewrite human history MORE: 'Doomsday shipwreck' stuffed with explosives could unleash a Thames tsunami MORE: How four children survived a plane crash that killed every adult on board
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.
