Located in the middle of the Karakum Desert is Hell’s Gate, a natural gas fire that’s been burning in the former Soviet republic of Turkmenistan for nearly 40 years. When Russian crews drilling for oil and natural gas accidentally exposed a methane-filled cave, they decided to burn the gas off. Little did they know the resulting fire would still be burning to this day, and that the resulting fire would become one of Turkmenistan’s biggest tourist attractions. Now, if Turkmenistan president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov gets his way, that iconic fire will be going out.
Turkmenistan is one of the world’s leading exporters of natural gas, and President Berdymukhamedov wants to increase that number. As it turns out, Hell’s Gate is right in the middle of one of the area’s richest regions for natural gas and, as such, is kind of getting in the way of properly exploiting that resource. So, despite the tourist dollars it draws, the fire may be getting extinguished.
Image: Uncornered Market
Tags: Turkmenistan, Hell’s Gate, industrial accident, natural gas fire, portal to hell, Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Karakum Desert, natural gas, 40-year-old gas fire, president wants to extinguish gas fire, Darvazas Gas Crater