The Darvaza gas crater (Turkmen media use the name Shining of the Karakum: Turkmen: Garagum ýalkymy), also known as the Door to Hell or Gates of Hell, is a burning natural gas field collapsed into a cavern near Darvaza, Turkmenistan
IN THE HOT, EXPANSIVE KARAKUM desert in Turkmenistan, near the 350-person village of Darvaza, is a hole 230 feet wide that has been on fire for over 50 years. Though technically called the Darvaza gas crater, locals know the crater as “The Gates of Hell.” Its fiery glow can be seen for miles around.
The Gates of Hell crater was created in 1971 when a Soviet drilling rig accidentally punched into a massive underground natural gas cavern.
When geologists began drilling, the thin crust crumbled into its own footprint as it became unable to support the weight of the heavy Soviet machinery. The entire site collapsed, beginning a domino effect that resulted in craters opening across the thin desert plain. The geologists rapidly realized they had a problem.
Not only had the Gates of Hell swallowed their drilling equipment, but it was now leaking natural gas. Though the gas was primarily non-toxic methane, it can make it hard to breathe. It didn’t take long for the local wildlife that roamed the Karakum Desert to suffer. Before long, they began to die.
Furthermore, methane gas has high flammability — with air containing only five percent methane capable of causing a massive explosion. The high levels seeping from the Door to Hell thus made the area highly susceptible to a significant disaster. The experts soon decided that the practice of “flaring” was in order.This approach uses a controlled burn to eliminate excess gas and is standard practice in many natural gas drills. Unfortunately, the geologists in Karakum didn’t know how much gas they were dealing with. Setting up a flare, they lit the Door to Hell on fire — causing an endless blaze that hasn’t ceased in over half a century.
Part of the mystery surrounding the pit’s origins is aided by Turkmenistan’s seclusion from the rest of the world. Considered the second-most isolated country (behind North Korea), Turkmenistan welcomes less than 10,000 tourists a year, says Marek Grzegorczyk for Emerging Europe. Berdymukhamedov’s eccentric behavior is one of the few things known about the country. He’s rapped about his horse, lifted a golden barbell in front of his cabinet, ordered construction of a giant golden statue of a Turkmen shepherd dog and performed doughnuts in his rally car in front of the Gates of Hell to dispel rumors about his death.
