New drilling operations kick off in Black Sea: Minister

UŞAK

A Turkish vessel has commenced drilling a new well in the Black Sea, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has announced, expressing optimism about discovering a new reserve within the next few weeks.

"Last evening [March 27], we initiated drilling on a new well named Göktepe. Hopefully, from this well, we will unearth a new discovery and additional reserves within the coming weeks," Bayraktar said during a speech at an event in the western province of Uşak late on March 28.

The Fatih drilling vessel is conducting the newly initiated exploration activities at a site further northwest of the Sakarya gas field, the minister said.

Emphasizing Türkiye’s quest for natural gas within its maritime boundaries, boasting a fleet of the world's most advanced seismic and deep-sea drilling vessels since 2016, Bayraktar reminded that the discovery of 320 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the Black Sea in 2020 marked the country’s largest find.

"Currently, we are producing 3.7 million cubic meters of gas daily in the Sakarya gas field, but we are still at the beginning of our journey. Hopefully, we will ramp up our gas production in that area to 40 million cubic meters per day.”

“Thus, our current natural gas production, sufficient for 1.4 million households, will extend to approximately 15 million households; meaning, we will produce natural gas capable of serving nearly 60 million people,” the minister expressed.

Bayraktar also underscored that there would be no changes in electricity and natural gas prices in April.

Fatih is a sixth-generation ultra-deepwater drillship that weighs 51,283 gross tons and has a length of 229 meters and is 36 meters in diameter.

It is an integral part of the country’s offshore oil and gas exploration fleet, which also comprises other drilling ships such as Yavuz, Kanuni and Abdülhamid Han.