For more than half a century, the ‘Gates of Hell’ have been ablaze, and a significant announcement has been made by government officials regarding its status.
If you were unaware of this continuously burning hole in the ground, you are now informed.
Despite its ominous name, the fiery site is a result of natural gas beneath the surface and an unfortunate error made by a drilling company.
After igniting the pit, the ‘Gates of Hell’ became the commonly used name for the 69-meter (226-foot) wide and 30-meter (98-foot) deep crater located in Turkmenistan.
Although the name suggests something frightening, it is essentially a blaze of natural gas on a location identified by the Soviet Union as a potential oil field in 1971.
Initial investigations at the site revealed a large pocket of natural gas beneath the drilling area, which subsequently collapsed and began emitting potentially hazardous gases.
In response, a team of Soviet engineers—Turkmenistan was part of the Soviet Union at the time—decided to ignite the gas to prevent its spread, a decision that in retrospect was ill-advised.
They expected it to burn off in a few days, but instead, it has continued to blaze for over fifty years.
Due to its appearance, resembling the gates to the underworld, it quickly became a popular destination for tourists.
However, its days may be numbered as the Turkmenistan government is actively working to extinguish the fire and mitigate the environmental harm it has caused.
Researchers indicate that the intensity of the flames is diminishing due to a decreased supply of natural gas.
Officials report that the flames are now significantly smaller than before, and while they were once visible from miles away, they now require closer proximity to be seen.
Irina Luryeva, a director at the energy enterprise Turkmengaz, stated at a fossil fuel conference: “Before a huge glow from the blaze was visible from several kilometres away, hence the name ‘Gateway to Hell.’
“Today only a faint source of combustion remains.”
Visitors to Turkmenistan have been coming to the site to camp near the burning methane, but they will soon need to find a new warm retreat.
The nation’s leader, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, initiated efforts to reduce the flames in 2022, expressing his desire to be remembered as the leader who closed the gates to hell.
At the time, Berdymukhamedov explained: “We are losing valuable natural resources for which we could get significant profits and use them for improving the well-being of our people.”
Nevertheless, despite the diminishing fires at the Gateway to Hell, the site continues to emit significant amounts of gas into the atmosphere, raising environmental concerns about the country’s carbon footprint.