BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 19. Turkmenistan plans to build new housing for oil and gas workers in Balkanabat, Turkmenbashi and Mary, near the Galkynysh gas field.
The information was announced in a statement issued by the press service of the Turkmen government following a meeting chaired by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, during which Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Guvanch Agajanov reported on measures aimed at improving living conditions for oil and gas workers.
"The first stage of construction includes four four-story buildings with 40 apartments each and four four-story buildings with 24 apartments each, totaling 256 households," the report says.
According to the report, the housing project in Mary is part of a larger development planned for 720 households for workers in the oil and gas sector.
The government press service said that 10 four-story buildings with 24 apartments each, providing housing for 240 households, are planned in Balkanabat, while a 12-story building with 72 apartments is planned in Turkmenbashi.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov approved the proposals and instructed the government to continue construction of housing for workers in the oil and gas sector, the press service said.
Meanwhile, the housing projects are being implemented as Turkmenistan expands civilian infrastructure in the Mary region, where the Galkynysh gas field, one of the world's largest gas fields, is located. The field's reserves are estimated at around 27 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, and its development has become a major component of Turkmenistan's efforts to increase gas production and export capacity.
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has been involved in Galkynysh since 2009 and is a key foreign partner in the field's development. In March 2026, Turkmengaz State Concern and CNPC signed a turnkey contract for the design and construction of facilities for the fourth phase of Galkynysh development. Work on the fourth phase began on April 17, 2026, with the project expected to enable annual gas production of up to 10 billion cubic meters.
The expansion of civilian infrastructure is taking place alongside the development of the field. In April, Turkmenistan approved the construction of a new settlement in the Imambaba rural council area of Yoloten district, also in Mary region, with implementation planned through 2030. The area has also seen the construction of facilities for the State Migration Service and new housing infrastructure.
Taken together, these developments indicate that Turkmenistan is not only expanding production infrastructure around Galkynysh, but is also building up the civilian infrastructure in the surrounding area. The trend is particularly relevant as the fourth phase of the field's development moves forward with Chinese participation and is expected to add to the country's gas production and export capacity.
Earlier in April, Trend's special correspondent reporting from the Galkynysh gas field in Yoloten settlement, Mary region, also reported that Turkmengaz State Concern plans to build a gas processing plant with an annual capacity of 10 billion cubic meters of marketable gas, drill 30 production wells, and construct industrial, infrastructure, and social facilities as part of the fourth phase of the field's development. The overall investment in the project is estimated at around $5 billion, with completion scheduled for 2030, according to the company.
