A pipeline blast along Turkmenistan’s border with Uzbekistan last Thursday has halted natural gas exports completely from Central Asia’s top producer.
Turkmen officials blame the sudden decrease in imports from Russia’s state-owned Gazprom for the explosion.
“This accident happened due to a unilateral and egregious violation by Russian company Gazprom Export of agreements and rules of natural gas purchases,” said the Turkmen Foreign Ministry in a prepared statement on Friday.
The Turkmen natural gas pipeline was exporting between 70 and 80 million cubic meters a day before the explosion brought transportation to a stop.