VZCZCXRO1087
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0760/01 1681041
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171041Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2982
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5318
RUEHBJQMEMBASSY BEIJING 3046
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2911
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3562
RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3623
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000760 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB 
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/THOMPSON 
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EPET PGOV EINV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: DOE-SPONSORED PIPELINE WORKSHOP 
REVEALS DIRECTION FOR FURTHER COOPERATION 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public 
Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  Post successfully assisted the 
Department of Energy in organizing a Pipeline Integrity 
and Management Workshop in Ashgabat on June 10-11.  The 
workshop provided 25 largely mid-level technical 
representatives of the Turkmen oil and gas industry with 
information on the latest technologies in pipeline 
construction, operation, and maintenance presented by a 
professor from the UK-based Penspen engineering 
consulting company.  The U.S.-Turkmenistan Business 
Council was a co-sponsor of the workshop.  Chevron, 
ExxonMobil, KBR/Granherne, and UniversalPegasus also co- 
sponsored the event and sent their representatives to 
speak at the workshop.  END SUMMARY. 
 
TURKMEN GOVERNMENT SUPPORT EVIDENT 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The Government of Turkmenistan demonstrated its 
support for the workshop both during the planning stage 
and during the event.  Deputy Minister of Oil and Gas 
Industry and Mineral Resources, Bayramgeldi Nedirov, 
personally coordinated the Turkmen participation in the 
workshop, delivered opening and closing remarks, and 
attended almost all of the sessions.  Among other Turkmen 
participants were mid-level pipeline managers, engineers, 
and technical experts from the Ministry of Oil and Gas 
and Mineral Resources, Turkmen State Gas Concern, Turkmen 
State Oil Concern, Turkmen Oil and Gas Construction 
Concern, Turkmen Geology State Corporation, and the State 
Agency for Management and Use of Hydrocarbon Resources. 
 
EVENT DRAWS MEDIA COVERAGE 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The workshop received broad media coverage 
here.  Watan News, which is the principal state news 
program in Turkmenistan, aired a report on the workshop 
and an interview with a U.S. Department of Energy 
official.  The Turkmenistan TV Channel broadcast a ten 
minute program about the workshop that included 
interviews with two Department of Energy officials and a 
representative of the Universal Pegasus Company. 
Neytralny Turkmenistan published three articles covering 
various aspects of the workshop.  Interestingly, the 
Watan News report portrayed the workshop as a "logical 
continuation" of the Turkmen Government-sponsored 
Pipeline Security Conference that was held in Ashgabat on 
April 23-24. 
 
CHALLENGES OPENLY DISCUSSED AND REVEALED DURING SESSIONS 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The Turkmen participants were surprisingly open 
to discussions on the problems facing Turkmenistan's 
energy industry in terms of pipeline management.  They 
assessed that a new national law was needed for the 
protection and exploitation of pipelines and that all 
existing standards and regulations should then be brought 
into compliance with that law.  They also offered that 
Turkmenistan should study Western regulations and 
standards and draw on them as needed.  The participants 
were vocal in stating that the sector needs new 
equipment, software, and expertise to design, build, 
maintain, and operate pipelines.  They said they needed 
to be able to conduct risk assessment and other 
preventive measures and that industry experts should be 
trained in operating new equipment once it is procured. 
It also became obvious during workshop discussions that 
Turkmen technical operators do not have sufficient 
 
ASHGABAT 00000760  002 OF 002 
 
 
resources and training to identify qualified equipment 
suppliers.  The participants frequently interrupted the 
presenters, asking which companies were capable of 
supplying a specific piece of equipment or software that 
was mentioned during a presentation.  It should also be 
noted that, in his closing remarks, Deputy Minister 
Nedirov mentioned that the Turkmen oil and gas industry 
agencies were open to cooperation with the United States 
on the training of personnel. 
 
CHALLENGES ALSO REVEALED ON THE MARGINS OF THE WORKSHOP 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Turkmen participants also voiced a number of 
concerns and challenges during conversations and 
discussions that took place on the workshop sidelines. 
The participants pointed out that Turkmen oil and gas 
engineers need specific technical and professional 
training to catch up to the latest technologies.  Some 
complained that the sector is underfunded in terms of 
maintenance, spare parts, equipment, salaries, and 
training, despite the energy sector's role as the largest 
income generator in the country.  They also mentioned 
that there is a lack of interaction, cooperation, and 
information exchange between the various government oil 
and gas agencies.  Some commented that low- and mid-level 
personnel are very hesitant and often discouraged from 
making production improvement proposals to top managers, 
and there is no upward feedback mechanism. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The workshop was a success and there 
is room to further strengthen cooperation in this field. 
The event not only provided the Turkmen participants with 
useful information, but also revealed the issues facing 
the Turkmen energy industry.  It provided some insight on 
further cooperation between the U.S. and Turkmenistan in 
the energy sector.  It looks like the Government of 
Turkmenistan would welcome additional training events 
like this that provide specific technical instruction and 
in-field, hands-on experience to Turkmen engineers.  The 
U.S. Department of Energy's focus on a key issue in this 
workshop, combined with a generous helping of American 
commercial expertise, along with official Turkmen 
commitment, came together smoothly to give Turkmen 
participants a very useful experience.  END COMMENT. 
 
MILES