Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed confidence that supplies of Turkmen natural gas to Chinese consumers would start according to schedule. The head of state made this announcement on 18 September during a working visit to the right bank of Amudarya River, namely the Samandepe filed of the Bagtyyarlyk licensed territory where the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline originates from.

The president of Turkmenistan met with the leadership of the country's oil and gas sector and the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) as well as Turkmen and Chinese oil and gas construction workers. Preparation of operating well stock, test drilling as well as construction of the first gas-treating plant, which started a couple of month ago, are currently under way at the Samandepe field.

It should be recalled that according to agreements Turkmenistan is supposed to supply some 40 billion cubic meters of gas a year to China starting from 2009. At the initial stage, the transit of 13 billion cubic meters of natural gas will be ensured by gas treatment facilities at the Samandepe and Altyn Asyr fields. The remaining volumes of gas will be supplied from the new gas fields.