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Adventure Tourist Attraction Considered One of the Most Curious in the World, the Door to Hell Will Be Closed and Natural Gas Utilized
The President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, ordered that the Door to Hell, a gas-rich crater that has been burning continuously for over 50 years and has become an adventure tourist spot, be closed. The announcement was made in a televised speech last Saturday (08/01). According to him, besides the waste of valuable resources that could be improving the lives of Turkmenistan’s citizens, the burning crater has negative consequences for the environment and affects the health of nearby residents.
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With this order, the President ends a story of over 50 years, which has mysterious origins, like many other issues related to the Soviet Union.
What Is the Door to Hell and How Did It Come About?
The Door to Hell is a burning crater that never goes out. This happens because there is an extensive reserve of natural gas in the region, causing this constant fire for at least 50 years.
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It has become one of the main tourist attractions in the region, which in many aspects would have nothing particularly interesting to offer tourists.
The country, part of the former Soviet Union, is frequently mentioned in curiosity articles and programs thanks to the burning crater and attracts people interested in an unusual experience, as there is the possibility to walk around the crater, with protective gear.
Something Quite Interesting About the Door to Hell Is Its Origin
One of the most accepted theories is that a group of Soviet geologists was sent to the region, known for its extensive oil and gas fields.
The geologists, while attempting to drill the soil in search of oil, encountered a large natural gas pocket, where the ground gave way and created three large sinkholes.
As natural gas leaks into the atmosphere are potentially dangerous, the geographers decided to set fire to the gas, believing it would stop burning in a few weeks.
As has been stated, this happened about 50 years ago.
This is, of course, just one of the theories. There is much discussion and controversy about how the Door to Hell actually came about. There is information that it existed for over 10 years before it started burning in the 70s/80s.
There is also much debate over whether it was ignited accidentally, such as by lightning, or if it was an intentional fire. There is also the possibility that the Door to Hell emerged as part of a flaring strategy, which is a very common practice in natural gas extraction, where surplus gas is burned for practicality and safety.
What Might Have Motivated the Closure?
There are several reasons that can be pointed out for the president’s decision. In the official notes, there is a whole concern for the economy, people’s health, and the environment, but undoubtedly the entire policy of controlling the amount of carbon emitted by countries has a profound relationship with the end of this curious tourist landmark.
Another issue that may be leading to this act is the decrease in tourism revenues, caused by all the difficulties related to the coronavirus.
In other words, the extraction of natural gas became economically more attractive to the country than maintaining the furnace that has been drawing the few tourists the country receives, generating income that could not be overlooked by Turkmenistan.
The government has not yet declared how it intends to undertake the fill or how to extinguish the fire, as the flames have been burning all this time, with fluctuations in intensity, but always constant, indicates that there is still gas in the region.
In this case, if proper work for channeling and possible utilization of this gas is not carried out, it could generate a much bigger problem than the Door to Hell.
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