Petroleum Industry and Geology Workers’ Day is celebrated in Turkmenistan every December 14. This official professional holiday was created by the President of Turkmenistan in 2010 to mark the anniversary of the Central Asia-China gas pipeline beginning operations. The day pays tribute to the skilled professionals in the petroleum sector, including geologists and engineers, who played a key role in building the pipeline, which stretches 1,139 miles (1,883 kilometers) in total, with 117 miles (188 kilometers) running through Turkmenistan. Before this, these workers shared a holiday on the second Saturday of September, but establishing this separate day allowed power engineers to have their own dedicated celebration on that earlier date. The holiday highlights the vital role of the petroleum industry in boosting Turkmenistan’s energy exports to the east.