ASHGABAT (AP) – The Central Asian nation of Turkmenistan is sitting on top of the second-largest natural gas field in the world, according to figures unveiled Tuesday by an independent British auditor.

The assessment by Gaffney, Cline & Associates will likely be greeted with relish by the ex-Soviet state’s secretive government, whose claims that it will be able to provide all prospective customers with energy supplies have faced scepticism. It could also fuel the global race for access to the country’s resources.

Auditor representative Jim Gillett said in a presentation in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, that South Yolotan holds up to 21.2 trillion m³ of gas, putting it only behind the South Pars field, shared between Iran and Qatar.

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