ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, May 13. Malaysia has expressed interest in participating in the development of the Turkmenistan's Galkynysh gas field in order to increase production of commercial gas and expand bilateral energy cooperation, Trend reports via the press service of the Turkmen government.
The address was made by Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Political Affairs under the Prime Minister of Malaysia, during his meeting with Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (Parliament) of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in Ashgabat.
The sides also exchanged views on further deepening cooperation in the oil and gas sector in the Caspian region between the two countries, particularly with involvement of Malaysian energy company of PETRONAS. In this regard, the sides emphasized the significant resource potential of Turkmenistan.
PETRONAS (Petroliam Nasional Berhad) is Malaysia’s fully state-owned oil and gas corporation and one of the largest energy companies in Southeast Asia, with integrated operations across the entire hydrocarbons value chain in more than 100 countries. Beyond its core upstream and downstream business, the company places strong emphasis on long-term human capital development through its flagship education initiatives, particularly the PETRONAS Education Sponsorship Programme (PESP), which funds talented students for undergraduate studies at leading local and international universities, including its own Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP).
PETRONAS also supports vocational and technical training institutions, internship pipelines, and structured talent development schemes, while collaborating with global universities and training centres to equip both Malaysian and international students with industry-relevant skills in engineering, energy, and related fields, with a particular focus on preparing future professionals for the oil and gas sector through scholarships, specialised courses, and industry-linked academic programmes.
Earlier, Turkmenistan announced the creation of 1,041 jobs as part of the fourth phase of development of the Galkynysh gas field, one of the largest in the world. The development of the fourth phase of the field began on April 17, 2026 and is being carried out jointly with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).
