[1][3] Some local geologists have claimed that the collapse of a crater happened in the 1960s; it was set on fire only in the 1980s to prevent the emission of poisonous gases.

[8] In April 2010, President Gurbanguly Berdi­muha­medow recommended that measures be taken to limit the crater's influence on the develop­ment of other natural gas fields in the area.

[9] In January 2022, Berdi­muha­medow announced plans to extinguish the crater, citing deleterious effects on local health, the environment, and the natural gas industry.

[13] In 2013, George Kourounis became the first person to set foot at the bottom of the crater;[4] he was gathering soil samples for the Extreme Microbiome Project.

Kourounis used a custom-made Kevlar harness and multiple Technora ropes attached to a full-body aluminized suit with a self-contained breathing apparatus.