From Milan to Ashgabat: Energy Dialogue Builds Toward OGT 2025

Prepared by the Turkmen Energy Forum

The international Gastech 2025 Conference and Exhibition, held in Milan from 9–12 September, became a landmark event for the global energy sector — and for Turkmenistan in particular. Bringing together tens of thousands of professionals, industry leaders, and innovators from over 150 countries, Gastech once again confirmed its status as the world’s premier platform for natural gas, LNG, hydrogen, clean energy technologies, and the acceleration of the energy transition.

Record Attendance and Global Dialogue

According to official figures:

More than 50,000 energy professionals participated in Gastech 2025, including over 7,000 delegates and 1,000 expert speakers. The exhibition hosted more than 1,000 international companies across a vast show floor.

Representatives from more than 150 countries attended, among them Ministers of Energy and Chief Executives of major oil and gas companies, including Shell, TotalEnergies, and Eni.

The Technical and Commercial Conference alone featured over 70 sessions across six thematic tracks — including Hydrogen, Climatetech, and AI::Energy — offering in-depth discussions of the latest technological and commercial trends.

These impressive statistics underscore not only the scale of Gastech but also the seriousness with which energy transition, gas and LNG infrastructure, and innovation are being addressed by governments and the private sector alike.

Key Themes at Gastech 2025

Several recurring issues dominated the agenda at Gastech 2025:

Energy Security and LNG Supply – ensuring reliable supply chains in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical landscape.

Decarbonization and Clean Energy Technologies – with a focus on hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS/CCUS), climate technologies, and the use of AI in optimizing gas and LNG operations.

Regulatory Frameworks and Investment Models – examining how production sharing agreements (PSAs), royalty/tax concession systems, and hybrid models are evolving in the context of the global energy transition.

Innovation and Technology Adoption – addressing the role of digitalization, cleaner fuels, sustainable shipping solutions, and green hydrogen in transforming the energy industry.

Confidence in natural gas dominates Gastech 2025

Natural gas will have a critical role throughout the energy transition, helping decarbonise economies while also providing the affordable and secure energy needed to foster prosperity and underpin the development of AI capabilities, speakers said.

At the world’s largest annual exhibition and conference for natural gas, there was a prevailing sense of confidence in the fuel’s demand outlook and in its economic and societal value. That confidence came not only from senior executives across the gas industry but also from political leaders who addressed the gathering.

“We believe in gas in the short, medium, and long term,” Freeman Shaheen, president of Chevron Global Gas, added. Chevron has likewise expanded its LNG trading operations substantially in recent years.

The CEO of leading US exporter Cheniere Energy, Jack Fusco, and Musabbeh al Kaabi, head of upstream at Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC, both said they anticipated their gas businesses expanding over the next two decades and potentially beyond. US engineering group Baker Hughes also expects gas demand to keep growing “for the next two decades [as] new technologies come on stream,” CEO Lorenzo Simonelli said. Despite concerns about oversupply emerging, he noted that the market appeared to be self-correcting, pointing to a record number of offtake agreements signed in recent months.

The Asian gas market – targeted by Turkmenistan through the planned Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline – will remain the main driver of global demand growth, executives said. Additional expansion is expected across the Middle East and Africa as well. Even in Europe, where consumption is widely forecast to decline over the coming decades, opportunities for new gas supply exist as the continent works to eliminate coal, speakers said.

TEF at Gastech 2025: Key Meetings and Dialogue

The Turkmen Energy Forum (TEF) was actively represented at Gastech 2025, engaging in global dialogue and holding a series of constructive meetings with partners from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

During these meetings, TEF representatives:

Extended invitations to international companies to participate in the landmark 30th International Conference and Exhibition “Oil & Gas of Turkmenistan – OGT 2025”, taking place in Ashgabat on 22–24 October.

Presented the OGT 2025 agenda and highlighted new investment opportunities, including the further development of the Galkynysh gas field, offshore projects in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea, and the construction of the TAPI transnational pipeline.

Emphasized this year’s expanded focus on innovation and sustainability: the integration of artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency at mature fields, the advancement of refining projects, and the growth of renewable energy and green technologies—with particular attention to methane reduction and environmental responsibility.

These discussions served as an important bridge: while Gastech offers access to global innovations and best practices, OGT 2025 will provide the platform in Turkmenistan for such partnerships to translate into concrete projects and long-term cooperation.

Opportunities for the Turkmen Energy Sector

The developments at Gastech 2025 and the preparations for OGT 2025 highlight several key points for Turkmenistan:

Growing global confidence in the country’s energy policy and investment environment.

Rising global demand for natural gas, with Turkmenistan holding the fourth-largest gas reserves in the world, including the super-giant Galkynysh field, one of the largest gas fields in the world.

The opportunity to present Turkmenistan not only as a reliable exporter of hydrocarbons but also as a forward-looking partner in clean energy, innovation, and ESG-aligned cooperation.

A chance for both the public and private sectors to showcase tangible projects and initiatives that reflect international best practices.

Eyes Now Turn to OGT 2025

With the momentum generated by Gastech, international attention now turns to OGT 2025, which will take place in Ashgabat on 22–24 October 2025.

To date, more than 300 international delegates from 40 countries have confirmed their participation, including senior ministers, policymakers, and CEOs of leading companies.

All exhibition space has been fully sold out, reflecting strong global commercial interest in Turkmenistan’s energy sector.

The agenda features high-level discussions on PSAs, innovation and investment in hydrocarbons, and opportunities for foreign partners in Turkmenistan’s energy and infrastructure development.

As Gastech 2025 has clearly demonstrated, the global energy sector is entering a new era that demands collaboration, flexibility, and innovation. With OGT 2025 now approaching, Turkmenistan is positioned to play a central role in turning global energy ambitions into regional realities.