Famous ‘Gateway to Hell’ Fire May Be Coming to an End After 50 Years

Turkmenistan announced on Thursday that it has significantly reduced the fire that has been burning for five decades at a site known as the “Gateway to Hell.”

Origin of the ‘Gateway to Hell’

The flames have been burning continuously since 1971 in the Karakum Desert, after Soviet scientists accidentally drilled into an underground gas pocket. In an attempt to prevent uncontrolled gas emissions, they set it on fire—without realizing it would burn for so long.

Since then, the crater has been releasing massive amounts of methane, one of the gases that most contributes to global warming.

Local authorities reported that they have reduced the fire—now the most well-known tourist attraction in the reclusive Central Asian country—by up to threefold, although they did not specify the time frame.

From a Fiery Glow to a Faint Flicker

Irina Luryeva, a director at the state-owned energy company Turkmengaz, said during an environmental conference in Ashgabat that people could previously see the glow from the flames kilometers away, which gave the site its nickname ‘Gateway to Hell.’ Today, only a faint glow remains from the combustion.

Luryeva explained that workers have drilled several wells around the crater to capture the escaping methane.

A Country Rich in Gas, Under Global Scrutiny

Despite its isolationist policies, Turkmenistan holds the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves.The International Energy Agency considers Turkmenistan the world’s largest emitter of methane from gas leaks, although the government denies this claim.

Read the original article on: Science Alert

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