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 petrochemical scientists in 1971.
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.
History
The site was identified by Soviet scientists in 1971. It was thought to be a substantial oil field site. The scientists 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. Large quantities of methane gas were released, however, creating an environmental problem and posing a potential danger to the people of the nearby villages.
Fearing the further release of poisonous gases from the cavern, the scientists decided to burn it off. They thought 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.
Turkmenistan is well-known around the world for its famous Gateway to Hell near the town of Darvaza. The Darvaza Flaming Crater was caused by an oil rig that struck a large pocket of natural gas back in 1971 and it is still burning today.
Tourists usually camp in this area and it is really hot. Turkmenistan is largely covered by the mysterious Karakum desert. The desert lies east of the Caspian Sea with the Kyzyl Kum desert and the Amu Darya River to the northeast. The Aral Sea lies north and the dropping of the sea keeps on expanding the size of the desert.
The country is bordered by Uzbekistan to the northeast and east, Iran to the south and southwest, Afghanistan to the southeast and Kazakhstan to the northwest. The Kopet Dagi Mountains form the border to Iran. The Kugitang is the highest mountain in the country. Turkmenistan is divided into five provinces, namely Mary Province to the southeast, Lebap Province to the east, Dashoguz Province to the north, Balkan to the west and Ahal Province in central Turkmenistan.
Effects on future development of gas
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.
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.