TURKMENGAZ OFFICIALS EXAMINE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES IN HOUSTON, ALBERQUERQUE AND FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO FROM NOVEMBER 1-11, 2011 

A two week technical exchange visit organized by the U.S. Department of Energy and United States Energy Association with support from the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and private corporate sponsorship  featured the participation of five senior officials from the Turkmenistan Ministry of Oil and Gas.

The meetings and site visits conducted in Houston, Texas, and in Albuquerque and Farmington, New Mexico focused on the use and application of advanced technologies and processes used by U.S. oil and gas companies to enhance pipeline reliability, safety and economic efficiency.  They also provided the delegation the opportunity to examine the policies and regulatory framework used to regulate the integrity and safety of the U.S. pipeline system.  

The exchange visit to the United States marks the third in a series of technical information exchanges between the U.S. oil and gas industry and the Turkmenistan Ministry of Oil and Gas organized by the U.S. Department of Energy.  An initial workshop on natural gas pipeline management was conducted in Ashgabat in 2009, followed by a technical symposium examining pipeline design and operations in April of 2010.  Nearly 40 senior managers from the Turkmenistan Ministry of Oil and Gas participated in the workshop and symposium.  

During this exchange visit major U.S. oil and gas companies and equipment manufacturers provided information on real world solutions to designing and operating pipelines in the geography and environment found in Turkmenistan.  The first week of meetings and site visits with energy companies focused on the design, construction, and operations of natural gas pipelines, advanced metering, corrosion prevention and improved compressor efficiency.  The second week featured in-depth training conducted by Sandia National Laboratory on securing physical assets, cyber security, control systems and information technology for pipeline operations. The EPA focused on environmental controls and monitoring for oil and gas production sites, measuring and capturing greenhouse gases, especially methane, and higher efficiency pipeline equipment. 

Among the companies participating in the exchange visit were:  ExxonMobil; Chevron; KBR; Granherne; General Electric; Sandia National Laboratories; ICF International; Weatherford; and the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association.  

The United States Energy Association is the U.S. member committee of the World Energy Council (WEC).  USEA is an association of public and private energy-related organizations, corporations, and government agencies. USEA represents the broad interests of the U.S. energy sector by increasing the understanding of energy issues, both domestically and internationally.