Turkey to produce its own seismic ship to find fuel

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

A mock-up of Turkey’s planned seismic ship is seen above. Several domestic bodies join forces for the project. AA photo

Turkey will produce its own seismic ship to search for natural gas and petroleum, Energy Minister Taner Yıldız has said. A dealwas signed between the General Directorate of Mineral Research Exploration (MTA), the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries and the contractor that will build the ship.

The ship will be built at the Tuzla shipyard in northwestern Turkey with the support of local industry, said Yıldız. The ship will be equipped with the latest technology and will be used for two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic exploration.

“A growing and developing Turkey cannot have a stagnant energy sector. All areas of Turkey are growing, therefore we will conduct our exploration activities with the latest technology,” Yıldız said at a ceremony organized by the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries.

According to Yılıdız, the ship will cost roughly 100 million euros and will be delivered to the MTA in 2014. The ship will be financed by the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry with mediation from the Undersecretariat of the Defense Industries as it is expert in shipbuilding commissions.

When asked by reporters at the ceremony what the name of the ship would be, Yıldız said the ship currently does not have a name, but that Turkey’s prime minister and president would provide their input at the ship’s inauguration ceremony.

The Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) had also already conducted research for a seismic ship to search for petroleum and natural gas, and Yıldız said that these efforts would also be taken into account.

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