The successful implementation of the tasks, set by the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov before the country’s oil and gas complex to increase oil and gas production, and the prospecting of new fields for these purposes is facilitated by the activities of specialists from the Natural Gas Research Institute of the Türkmengaz State Concern. Among them is the heroine of my essay, Ayjemal Ezizova, who devoted about 30 years of her work to the oil and gas industry of Turkmenistan.

The choice of a future profession after graduating from secondary school was obvious to Ayjemal, as her father Baymurad Gurdov, who devoted his whole life to the development of the Döwletabat gas condensate field, was an example for her.

Immediately after graduating with honors from the Turkmen Polytechnic Institute, Ayjemal began her career as a geophysicist.

In 2003, she joined the Natural Gas Research Institute of the Türkmengaz State Concern. Thanks to her abilities and diligence, Ayjemal quickly moved up the career ladder. For 12 years, she worked as a geophysicist of the first category, a leading geophysicist, then she was appointed head of the group of resources calculation, and then a leading research worker.

Ezizova’s abilities were noticed, and in 2020, she was entrusted with the responsible position of head of the laboratory of geological case studies and design of gas fields of the Department of Geology of the Natural Gas Research Institute.

Leading a team of specialists engaged in the study of the geological structure and oil and gas potential of Central and Eastern Turkmenistan, Ayjemal Ezizova is an example for her colleagues and especially young people in dedication, purposefulness and achievement of professional heights.

Over a long period, she has made a worthy contribution to the development of the country’s oil and gas industry. The team of her laboratory, based on the study of the geological structure and oil and gas potential of Central and Eastern Turkmenistan, where the main reserves and resources of hydrocarbons are concentrated in the Jurassic oil and gas complexes, has developed a large volume of scientific and practical recommendations. They relate to the seismic exploration and drilling of parametric, exploratory and appraisal wells in certain areas and fields. A large number of recommendations have been prepared for the testing and selection of core from prospective intervals of well sections. All of them were introduced in seismic exploration and drilling organizations of the Türkmengeologiýa State Corporation and contributed to obtaining important results.

So, on the western dome of the Mydar oil and gas field, as a result of testing the exploratory well No. 20, an oil inflow with a flow rate of 90 m3/day was obtained from the Goteriv deposits. Thus, a new oil deposit was discovered, which contributed to an increase in raw material resources.

Later, at the same field, as a result of drilling and testing of exploration well No. 23, an industrial inflow of oil with a flow rate of 64 m3/day was obtained from the deposits of the lower Barrem. Earlier, a gas deposit was discovered in the same ledges on the central dome of this field, so receiving an oil inflow on the western dome allowed not only to increase oil resources, but also to express the opinion that another oil deposit was discovered.

In addition, several appraisal wells were drilled in the fields of the southern part of the Central Karakum arch on the basis of recommendations developed by laboratory specialists in order to confirm previously identified hydrocarbon deposits, which also made it possible to identify new ones.

At the Tamdyrly gas condensate field, during testing of the appraisal well, gas condensate and gas deposits in the sediments of the lower Barrem and middle Aptian were confirmed. In addition, a new gas condensate deposit was identified in the same deposits, gas inflows with a flow rate of 441.3 thousand m3/day, condensate with a flow rate of 29.1 m3/day and reservoir water with a flow rate of 2.6 m3/day, a gas deposit, natural gas inflow with a flow rate of 221.4 thousand m3/day and that of condensate with a flow rate of 0.41 m3/day were obtained.

Deposits in Upper and Middle Aptian sediments have been confirmed at the Atabay gas field. At the same time, new gas deposits were discovered in the upper Apt. Natural gas inflows of 159.1 thousand m3/day and 319 thousand m3/day, respectively, were obtained from these deposits. The resources of the discovered deposits were evaluated by laboratory specialists and accepted for the Türkmengeologiýa State Corporation.

For a step-by-step analysis of the study of Miocene sediments by drilling in 2020–2023, the research area of the laboratory was reoriented to Southwestern Turkmenistan. Geological sections of the Sarmatian and Tortonian deposits, uncovered by exploration wells of drilling organizations of the Turkmengeologiya Group, were studied in detail, and reservoir layers were traced. Together with the data of core materials and the results of testing, the degree of prospects of the Miocene strata was determined. The systematization of search objects promising in relation to the oil and gas content of Miocene deposits has been carried out, which makes it possible to make their optimal choice for exit with exploration drilling within the Gogerendag-Ekerem uplift zone.

The results of Ayjemal Ezizova's long-term research have been reflected in scientific and production reports and published scientific papers. The results of the work carried out were presented at sectoral scientific and practical and international conferences. A large amount of research is also presented in the dissertation work devoted to the study of the Jurassic natural oil and gas reservoirs of the Bokurdak monocline and the substantiation of their oil and gas potential.

Based on these achievements, it can be argued with good reason that the results of research by specialists of the laboratory of the geological case studies and design of gas fields of the Department of Geology of the Natural Gas Research Institute of the Türkmengaz State Concern are a worthy contribution to strengthening the raw material base of the oil and gas industry of our country.

Ayjemal Ezizova is a caring mother and a talented needlewoman outside of work. In her free time, she is engaged in sewing for herself and children and creates paintings from the national fabric keteni, featuring interesting abstract compositions.

Ayjemal also likes to read, among her favorite books are the works of the National Leader of the Turkmen people and the President of Turkmenistan and historical literature.

Ayjemal has two children, daughter Jemal is a student, and son Tanryberdi is a secondary school pupil, to whom she instills love of the Motherland and diligence. The Azizov family is proud of the grandiose transformations taking place in our country under the leadership of the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

The friendly team, led by Ayjemal Azizova, was able to achieve high scientific and practical results thanks to their outstanding capabilities and high professionalism.

Ayjemal is immensely happy that her work achievements contribute to the growth of the economic power and prosperity of her beloved Motherland.

Ussa Ussayev,

Editor-in-Chief of the Nebit-Gaz newspaper.