Door to Hell

Door to Hell

Panorama of the gas site burning, 2011

Location of the Door to Hell fire in Turkmenistan

Country Turkmenistan
Region Derweze, Ahal Province
Coordinates 40°15′9.4″N 58°26′21.8″E / 40.252611°N 58.439389°ECoordinates: 40°15′9.4″N 58°26′21.8″E / 40.252611°N 58.439389°E
Field history
Discovery 1971

The Door to Hell is a natural gas field in Derweze (also spelled Darvaze, meaning "gate"), Ahal Province, Turkmenistan. The Door to Hell is noted for its natural gas fire which has been burning continuously since it was lit by Soviet petroleum engineers in 1971.[1] The fire is fed by the rich natural gas deposits in the area. The pungent smell of burning sulfur pervades the area for some distance.

Geography

The field is situated near the Derweze village. It is in the middle of the Karakum Desert, about 260 kilometres (160 mi) north of Ashgabat. The gas reserve found here is one of the largest in the world. The name "Door to Hell" was given to the field by the locals, referring to the fire, boiling mud, and orange flames in the large crater, which has a diameter of 70 metres (230 ft).[2] The hot spots range over an area with a width of 60 metres (200 ft) and to a depth of about 20 metres (66 ft).[3]

History

The site was identified by Soviet engineers in 1971.[4] It was thought to be a substantial oil field site.[5] The engineers set up a drilling rig and camp nearby, and started drilling operations to assess the quantity of gas reserve available at the site. As the Soviets were pleased with the success of finding the gas resources, they started storing the gas. The ground beneath the drilling rig and camp collapsed into a wide crater and disappeared. No lives were lost in the incident.

Fearing further release of poisonous gases from the cavern, the engineers decided to burn the gas off.[2] They believed that it would be safer to burn it than to extract it from underground through expensive methods. At that time, expectations were that the gas would burn out within a few weeks, but has continued to burn more than four decades after it was set on fire.[2]

The crater was featured in a Die Trying episode titled "Crater of Fire". Explorer George Kourounis became the first person to ever set foot at the bottom, gathering samples of extremophile microorganisms. The episode was broadcast on the National Geographic Channel on July 16, 2014.[6]

Effects on future development of gas

The deposit as seen at night, 2010

In April 2010, the president of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, visited the site and ordered that the hole should be closed, or measures be taken to limit its influence on the development of other natural gas fields in the area.[4] Turkmenistan plans to increase its production of natural gas, intending to increase its export of gas to Pakistan, China, India, Iran, Russia, and Western Europe from its present level to 75 million cubic metres (2.6×109 cu ft) in the next 20 years.[3]

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Door to Hell.
  1. ↑ "Turkmenistan hopes 'Door to Hell' will boost tourism". CTV News. 22 June 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "What a ‘hell hole’!". Pakistan Daily Times. September 14, 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Marat Gurt (20 April 2010). "Turkmen president wants to close "Hell's Gate"". Reuters. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The Door to Hell: Take a look inside a giant hole in the desert which has been on fire for more than 40 YEARS". Daily Mail. 27 July 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  5. ↑ American Geological Institute (January 2010). Earth. American Geological Institute. p. 22. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  6. ↑ Christina Nunez (16 July 2014). "Q&A: The First-Ever Expedition to Turkmenistan's "Door to Hell"". National Geographic.