One of the five central Asian countries, turkmenistan, has found huge natural gas fields near the Caspian sea.

Natural gas exports are the main source of hard currency for the former Soviet state. The country is talking to the European Union about building a pipeline to link the country's natural gas fields to the European market.

The new discovery is located in the inland area of uzumao, which is about 70 kilometers deep. The measured Wells produce 500,000 cubic meters of natural gas a day and 150 tons of condensate.

The world's second largest gas field, Galkynysh, lies in turkmenistan. As one of its biggest customers, Russia stopped buying turkmen gas last year, the country is facing a foreign exchange shortage. China is now the main export market for turkmenistan's gas.

Turkmenistan's government is trying to achieve the diversification of the export market, is building a trans-caspian pipeline connecting Europe and discuss investment a pipeline across Afghanistan to Pakistan and India.