The gas production from a vast reserve Türkiye discovered off its Black Sea coast has reached 2.7 million cubic meters (mcm) per day, a senior official said Monday, stressing the eventual target to reach a level enough to supply up to 15 million households.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said some 23 wells have been drilled so far in the Sakarya Gas Field off the northwestern Zonguldak province.
"Our production has reached 2.7 million cubic meters. We aim to increase this to 10 million cubic meters in the shortest time, followed by a final target of reaching 40 million cubic meters daily, supplying natural gas to 15 million households," Bayraktar said after touring the onshore facility where the gas is being processed.
Heavily dependent on imports for its energy needs, Türkiye has ramped up its hydrocarbon explorations in the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean over the years.
It has been developing the 710 billion cubic meter (bcm) natural gas field in the Black Sea, which was gradually discovered in August 2020.
In April 2023, it started pumping gas from the Sakarya field into the national grid through a pipeline linked to the Filyos Natural Gas Processing Facility.
Highlighting the significance of the visit during the winter months, when natural gas consumption is at its peak, Bayraktar emphasized the rapid progress of the Black Sea gas project.
"The Black Sea gas, discovered in 2020, has been brought ashore in less than three years, and we are now just a few kilometers away from where we connected it to the Petroleum Pipeline Corporation's (BOTAŞ) system," said the minister.
"In this sense, Filyos has truly become Türkiye's natural gas hub."
Bayraktar dubbed it one of the world's fastest-developed projects.
"We transport gas over a distance of 170 kilometers, connecting it to the homes and consumers through BOTAŞ's system," he said, referring to the distance from the location of the reserve to the shore.
"We hope to accelerate the project further in the coming period, providing a significant portion of the natural gas needed by our people, our country, our industries, and our homes," Bayraktar added.
Türkiye will meet approximately 30% of its annual gas need once the Black Sea reaches full capacity.
Natural gas inflow to Türkiye's gas network totaled 51.48 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2023, marking an 8% decline year-over-year, according to official figures by BOTAŞ.
In 2022, approximately 56.01 bcm of gas was carried through the Turkish natural gas system, with consumption totaling 53.52 bcm.
The drop in inflow level was linked to warmer-than-expected weather conditions for the winter months, leading to a decline in gas demand.
There might be a gap of up to 5% between overall consumption and the quantity of inflow in Türkiye, which also exports natural gas.
Bayraktar was accompanied by Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, who said they had inspected the railway and highway connections of Filyos Port.
"Filyos Port, a major logistics center project that will take our country further and lead the industry, has the capacity to handle 25 million tons annually, with 13 ships being handled and the ability to serve large-tonnage ships with its docks at depths of 14 and 19 meters," Uraloğlu wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Türkiye has been injecting billions of dollars to expand and strengthen its infrastructure and gas network. It also strives to address climate change and secure a cleaner energy future.
The country has invested significantly in pipelines, liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, offshore gas and oil exploration fleets.
It is also expanding oil production from a vast reserve discovered in the southeastern province of Şırnak's Mount Gabar, long a victim of a heavy terrorist presence.
Its strategic geographical position makes it a key transit country for natural gas pipelines from various regions, including Russia, the Caucasus, the Middle East and Africa.
Last year, Türkiye signed natural gas export deals with some European countries, such as Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. Each agreement outlines specific quantities and durations for gas exports, underscoring Türkiye's growing role in the European energy landscape.
