What secrets are hidden in the Gate of Hell that has been burning for 50 years?

Hell's Gate is a natural gas field in Darvaza, Turkmenistan. The ground collapsed in 1971, forming a natural gas pit. Geologists set the gas pit on fire to prevent the spread of methane, and it has been burning continuously ever since. The air crater has a diameter of 69 meters and a depth of 30 meters.

The gas pit is a popular tourist attraction. Fifty thousand tourists have visited *** in the past five years. The total area of ??the air pit is 5,350 square meters, which is equivalent to the size of an American football field. The area near the air pit is also a popular desert camping spot. Geography

The gas pit is located near Dawaza Village. It is in the middle of the Karakum Desert and north of Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, about 260 kilometers away. The reserves of natural gas here rank among the highest in the world. The name "Hell's Gate" was given by the locals, referring to the fire, hot mud and orange flames burning in the pit. The diameter of the air crater is approximately 70 meters [3]. The width of the hotspot coverage is 60 meters and the depth is 20 meters. History

Soviet engineers found this place in 1971. Originally they thought this was an oil field with huge reserves. Exploration operations and drilling began in order to discover the oil content of the site. When they found natural gas, the ground where the drill bits and exploration camps were located collapsed into a crater and was never seen again.

Engineers expect that the gas pit will release toxic gases that will affect nearby towns and villages, so they believe that burning the gas is the best way. It was estimated that the gas would burn out in a few weeks, but it ended up burning for more than 40 years.

One of the episodes of the National Geographic Channel documentary "The Impossible Adventure", "The Pit of Fire", features the Gates of Hell. Explorer George Koronis became the first person to set foot on the bottom of this air crater and collected samples of extremophile microorganisms. This documentary episode premiered on July 16, 2014. Impact on future natural gas development

Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited this site in 2010 and ordered it to be closed or new measures to be taken. Restrict other natural gas development in the area. Turkmenistan plans to increase its natural gas production and exports to 75 million cubic meters over the next two decades from current levels to Pakistan, China, India, Iran, Russia and Western Europe.