OGT-2026 conference in Ashgabat discusses oil and gas sector adaptation to Caspian Sea level changes
At the 31st International Conference «Oil and Gas Turkmenistan 2026» (OGT-2026), which completed its work in Ashgabat, the Director of the Turkmenistan's Institute of the Caspian Sea Myrat Atajanov delivered a report on the shallowing of the Caspian Sea. He spoke about the impact of this regional challenge on industrial and economic infrastructure. This year, the forum agenda included environmental safety and the sustainable development of offshore fields. As reported, the 2018 Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea remains the basic document setting the rules for rational use of natural resources in the region. At the same time, changes in depth and in the shape of the coastline create new risks for the oil and gas sector. Fluctuations in sea level affect the stability of coastal facilities and the operation of approach channels and seaports. Falling water levels threaten offshore installations and require a review of operating conditions for offshore platforms, subsea pipelines and other hydraulic engineering structures. Myrat Atajanov emphasized that a science-based assessment should include the development of adaptation measures and a vulnerability analysis of facilities at the earliest stages, from design to long-term operation. «A science-based approach not only reduces environmental and technical risks, but also improves predictability, which is critically important for long-term investment. A combination of economic efficiency, technological reliability and environmental responsibility is a necessary condition for developing the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea», the head of the research institute noted. The Special Commission on the Shallowing of the Caspian Sea will provide a practical response. The heads of the five Caspian states decided to establish it at the first Caspian Environmental Summit in the National Tourist Zone «Awaza». The commission’s main task is to develop coordinated approaches based on objective scientific data. The Caspian Sea is a single ecosystem, where climatic and hydrological processes do not recognize state borders. According to the presentation, the systemic basis for this work should be the initiative of the National Leader of the Turkmen People, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to draw up an Agreement on Cooperation in Marine Scientific Research in the Caspian Sea. Myrat Atajanov said the adoption of the document would allow for a permanent exchange of scientific information and observation methods, joint training of highly qualified specialists, and the launch of major bilateral and multilateral research projects. Delegates at the OGT-2026 agreed that only a combination of efforts by science, government and business can preserve the Caspian ecosystem while the sea’s hydrocarbon resources are developed efficiently and safely.