The history of the Seydi Oil Refinery is a chronicle of large-scale construction and a story about the people whose efforts brought an industrial giant to life. The documentary booklet “20 Steps of Oil Construction” by V. Bagrov allows us to look into the archives and see where it all began.

The idea of building a new oil refinery in Turkmenistan began taking shape in the mid-1960s. In 1965, a commission was appointed to select a site. Under the leadership of V.V. Abramov, Chairman of the State Construction Committee of the Turkmen SSR, several locations were inspected, and Site No. 3 was chosen — located 80 km northwest of today’s Turkmenabat. Its key advantages were proximity to a railway and the Amu Darya River, good soil, and potential for future expansion.

A key factor in the feasibility study was the forecasted oil production, which was expected to reach 25 million tons by 1980. The project assignment was officially approved on February 12, 1970. On February 23, a ministerial order was issued to begin developing the launch complex and provide working drawings for the 1970–1971 construction phase.

Construction began under harsh conditions. Four days after the New Year of 1971, the first stake was driven into the ground in the Shagal area. A photo shows I.A. Aganov (far left), and the first construction group led by N.G. Sapozhkov (center). On February 15, the refinery’s directorate began operating under the leadership of Nikolai Sergeevich Pastukhov, and on April 4, funding was opened.

Initially, the directorate was located in a single-story building in Turkmenabat. By October 1972, the staff had grown to more than 20 people, with an accounting department, procurement, and production engineering offices already functioning. Logistics were challenging: engineers and planners traveled up to 1000 km weekly to visit sites, and equipment had to be delivered from the Zerger station. On February 1, 1973, despite the severe cold and lack of heating, the directorate moved to the unfinished equipment base building.

Many pioneers left their names in the historical records: team leader N.S. Filonov, refinery director R.A. Muratov, his deputies V.S. Chuguev and R.Ya. Senkina, chief engineer Kh.M. Jamaldiev, and many others. Foreign specialists also participated in the construction, including those from East Germany (Marko Frank) and Czechoslovakia.

Alongside the refinery, the city itself began to grow. One photo shows the first house that marked the beginning of Seydi. Near the first residential buildings, the first school and other infrastructure appeared. Thus, step by step, a new industrial hub and city rose from the desert — built for and by the people who created it.

Adalat Daniyarova,

Deputy Head of the Human Resources Department at the Seydi Oil Refinery of the "Turkmennebit" State Concern

Source: State Concern "Turkmennebit"