Turkmenistan is looking for a way to close the "Gates of Hell– - a gas crater that has been burning for 50 years

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov instructed the country's government to find a way to extinguish the "Gates of Hell". This is a gas crater located in the Karakum desert, continuously burning for half a century. This landmark of Turkmenistan, dangerous for people and the environment, appeared thanks to human stupidity and the head of the country believes that the time has come for a brainstorming session that will put an end to the protracted disaster in the desert.

In 1971, a group of Soviet scientists who studied the gas fields of the Turkmen SSR drilled a well in the Karakums. Gas was coming out of it, poisoning the area around, and it was decided to stop it. Counting on the fact that the gas will burn out within a few days, the specialists set it on fire.

But their assumptions were not confirmed. The well was spewing flames and did not think to run out. Over time, the soil around sagged and a neat hole in the ground turned into a fire-breathing pit. A huge hole in the middle of the desert has become a real gas burner. However, unlike a real burner, the flame from the crater did not obey the will of man.

They tried to extinguish the crater, which first received the local, and then the generally recognized name Darvaza ("Gate"), repeatedly. For this purpose, fire trucks, aviation and construction equipment were used. Someone especially progressive even proposed to arrange a small nuclear explosion to block the gas outlet. Fortunately, it didn't come to that. One president replaced another, and the "Gates of Hell" as before illuminate the district with their ominous fire.

Candidate of Technical Sciences, geologist Stanislav Zavacki met with journalists of the portal "z60" and told about the crater and ways to extinguish it. It turns out that the gas reserves feeding the fire in the sinkhole can last for several hundred years. An experienced scientist believes that it is possible to extinguish the "Gates of Hell". But at the same time, he assures that this task will be difficult and very expensive.

Now the crater in the desert brings good money to the tourism industry of Turkmenistan. If it disappears, there will be one less popular attraction in the country. But apparently, President Berdimuhamedov is serious and it does not bother him. At a government meeting on January 7, he instructed to propose a way to stop the Gorenje as soon as possible.

The head of Turkmenistan justified his desire to close the "Gates of Hell" in several points. Firstly, according to the politician, gorenje gas damages the economy of the country, because it could be pumped out and used. Secondly, Berdymukhamedov is sure that the burning crater adversely affects the ecosystem of the Karakum Desert. And thirdly, the health of people in the nearest villages is at risk.

Geologist Stanislav Zavatsky does not agree with the president on any point. He believes that there is no danger to people and the environment. According to the expert, gorenje in places where there are deposits of gas, oil, coal and peat is quite a natural phenomenon. There are such failures in Iran, Azerbaijan and Kuwait and they have been burning for decades too. In such cases, heat, carbon monoxide and soot are released into the environment. Darvaza does not create a child and its effect on nature and people is minimal.

To protect the local population and tourists, you just need to restrict access to the crater. But this has already been done - since the autumn of 2021, you need to get official permission from the authorities to visit the attraction.

Unlike the Turkmen top officials, Stanislav Zavacki knows well how to solve the problem. The geologist believes that it is necessary to drill an inclined well so that it gets into the main one, the 70s. After that, a cementing solution must be pumped through the pipe into the cavity of the Darvase to block the gas flow. Another option is to deliver explosives through an auxiliary well and bring down the "Gates of Hell" with a powerful underground explosion.

After the fire goes out, it will be possible to use Darvaza gas as it happens with any other deposits. But the geologist focuses on the fact that, even if everything happens perfectly, the project will not pay off very soon. However, for Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, known for his eccentric behavior, this operation can become a matter of prestige. If the problem that could not be solved disappears, he will have something to be proud of.