Turkmen scientists believe the most effective solution to extinguish the burning gas crater known as "Gates of Hell" (officially named "Karakum Shine"), which has been burning for over fifty years, is to drill a well near the site.
The anomaly, about 60 metres wide and 20 metres deep, appeared during exploratory drilling; according to the official version, a drilling rig fell into the area. Soviet geologists then decided to burn the gas in the voids.
"The point is that unregulated overflows can be stopped in this way, that is, take away more than nature provides," Irina Lurieva, head of the laboratory of the research institute at state-run Turkmengaz, told TASS.
According to her, this will limit gas flow to this emergency well. "The work hasn't started yet, but before it can begin, a theoretical study and a project must be drawn up," she said. This project has already been drawn up; it is at the approval stage."
The field where the accident occurred has a complex geological structure: there are very thin layers, and many of them. Another peculiarity is that these layers do not go deep - up to 1,000 meters - from the surface.
Yet Western scientists are not so convinced that the Darvaza - a backdrop for the foreign tourists so fond of photographing - is environmentally hazardous.
American Newsweek recently quoted the opinion of Mark Tingey, an expert from the University of Adelaide, who believes that Darvaza makes a "pretty tiny" contribution to hydrocarbon emissions in Turkmenistan. His colleague Guillermo Rein, a specialist from Imperial College London, believes that "it's not hurting anyone."
Credits: Eziz Boyarov, Ashgabat
Comments (0)