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The Darvaza Gas Crater Has Been Burning Since 1971, When Soviet Scientists Accidentally Hit a Gas Pocket and Set It Alight.

— June 09, 2025 | Georgina Jedikovska

The Darvaza Gas Crater or the Door To Hell, a Burning Natural Gas Field, in the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan. Photograph Teresa Otto

One of Turkmenistan’s most iconic landmarks, the infamous ‘Door to Hell’, a fiery natural gas crater which has been raging on for more than half a century has finally started to lose its steam, according to scientists monitoring the site.

The Darvaza Gas Crater, also referred to as the Gates of Hell or the Shining of Karakum, is located in the heart of Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert and has been consuming millions of cubic meters of natural gas each year.

The 230-foot-wide, 100-foot-deep crater, which reaches temperatures exceeding 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 degrees Celsius), has long been a subject of debate, with the country’s government repeatedly calling for its closure to prevent the ongoing loss of valuable natural gas.

However, officials may finally be seeing an end to their long-standing concerns, as researchers from Turkmengaz, the country’s state-run gas company, revealed the flames have visibly weakened on June 5.

A major Drop In Flame Activity

Turkmengaz scientists reportedly presented the new data showing a significant decline in the crater’s methane-fueled blaze at the International Scientific and Practical Conference on Environmental Aspects of Innovative Technologies in Hydrocarbon Development (TESC 2025).

Speaking at the conference held in Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabat, which focused on cutting emissions in hydrocarbon production and advancing the global energy transition, the research team revealed that the drop in flame activity is due to most of the flammable gas in the crater being nearly depleted.

According to officials, the fire’s strength has noticeably diminished, with flames now reduced to nearly a third of their original size and visible only up close. This marks a clear contrast to previous years when the fire could be seen from miles across the desert.

“The reduction is nearly threefold,” Irina Luryeva, director of the state-owned energy company, said, adding that recent engineering efforts have focused on drilling numerous containment wells around the site to capture the methane before it escapes into the atmosphere.

“Before, a huge glow from the blaze was visible from several kilometres away, hence the name ‘Gateway to Hell,'” continued Luryeva. “Today only a faint source of combustion remains.”

Tracing The Pit’s Origins

While the exact origins of the massive sinkhole remain a matter of speculation, it is widely believed to have been ignited in 1971, when a group of Soviet geologists accidentally drilled into an underground pocket of gas.

They then set it on fire to prevent toxic gases from spreading into the air, aiming to avoid a potential environmental disaster that could have poisoned the nearby locals. They reportedly expected the fire to burn out within a couple of weeks.

However, the flames continued to burn for more than 54 years, turning the gas crater into one of Turkmenistan’s most popular tourist attractions, drawing more than 10,000 visitors annually who come to witness the hundreds of flames burning inside its depths.

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