Turkish drilling ship to start activity in a couple of days: Minister

ANTALYA

Turkey’s Yavuz drilling vessel, which has reached the Güzelyurt-1 well location in the Mediterranean Sea, will start its drilling activities in a couple of days, the energy and natural resources minister has said.

“Yavuz has reached the Güzelyurt-1 well location. It will start its new drilling today [Oct. 7] or tomorrow [Oct. 8],” Fatih Dönmez said on Oct. 7.

The minister’s remarks came during a speech at the 10th Energy Summit of Turkey, in the southern province of Antalya.

The Fatih drilling vessel, on the other hand, continues its drilling activities, the minister added.

“[Fatih’s] drilling at Finike region continues at 4,300 meters. We will deepen it more to 500-600 meters,” Dönmez said.

Ahead of its second mission, Yavuz carried out its operations at the Karpaz-1 well, located in the Bay of Gazimağusa, also known as Famagusta, in Turkish Cyprus.

Yavuz is undertaking a new expedition in Turkey’s continental shelf in the northeast of Cyprus, according to an official.

“Yavuz will launch a new round of offshore drilling operations on Oct. 7,” Çağatay Erciyes, acting director general at the Turkish Foreign Ministry, said on Twitter.

“The drilling area lies within the Turkish CS [continental shelf] registered with the U.N.,” he added.

The Turkish government granted Turkish Petroleum drilling permits in 2012, the official added.

Yavuz will continue to work in the Mediterranean Sea until January 2020.

Turkey, as a guarantor nation for Turkish Cyprus, is currently carrying out hydrocarbon exploration activities in the Eastern Mediterranean with its drilling vessels, Fatih and Yavuz, along with two other seismic vessels that are also operating in the same region.

Turkey has consistently contested the Greek Cypriot administration’s unilateral drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean, asserting that Turkish Cyprus also has rights to the resources in the area.