This recently spotted on the Turkmenistan government’s website:

Day of Oil and Gas Industry Workers and Geologists is established in accordance with the Decree of the President of Turkmenistan.

The idea is to honor the workers who played a role in opening Turkmenistan’s pipeline to China last month. China is obviously a hugely important market and the pipeline gives Turkmenistan a stronger hand in dealing with Russia, which would like to monopolize the transit of Turkmenistan’s considerable gas reserves.

The official statement declares:

“Through the efforts to diversify the system of transit of gas to world markets the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline, which is called ‘the energy bridge of XXI century’, was launched with the participation of the leaders of four states. This event will go down in history of the Turkmen people as the greatest accomplishment of the epoch.”

So every 14 December, Turkmenistan will pause to commemorate the “diligent and selfless labour of courageous oil and gas industry workers and geologists.”

We’re getting verklempt.