The volume of the daily natural gas production in the Black Sea Sakarya gas field has reached 6 million cubic meters (mcm), Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Saturday.
Speaking at the advisory council meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Zonguldak province, Bayraktar touched upon the energy advancements in recent years, explorations in the Black Sea region and national energy and mining strategy.
Seeking to curb energy dependence, Türkiye has boosted its gas and oil explorations, particularly through the national strategy it put in force in 2016, the minister recalled.
"We had done exploration in the Black Sea in the past. We did six deep sea drillings in the Black Sea. We said, 'This time we will explore for this oil and natural gas with our own ships, our own engineers, our own technicians, our own people, our own youth,'" he noted.
"Türkiye currently has one of the most advanced fleets in the world, with four deep-sea drilling ships, Fatih, Yavuz, Kanuni and Abdülhamid Han, and two seismic ships. Additionally, 31 ships are currently continuing their activities related to this work in Filyos," said Bayraktar.
The Sakarya Gas Field off the northwestern Zonguldak province is estimated to contain 710 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas. The reserve was gradually discovered in August 2020.
Lifting output
Recalling that nearly two and half to three years after giving good news of discovering the gas field on Aug. 21, 2020 they began to bring it onshore, the minister said, "As of today, the gas we produce in the Black Sea Sakarya gas field has reached 6 million cubic meters per day."
The current output is meeting the needs of 2.6 million households, he added.
"Hopefully, we will increase these 6 million cubic meters to 10 million cubic meters in the first stage, by April, in the first quarter of 2025," he said.
The output is aimed to be lifted first to 10 mcm before reaching 40 mcm in the final phase, enough to supply up to 15 million households.
Furthermore, Bayraktar mentioned the new floating platform, whose acquisition was announced a few weeks ago by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was on its way to Türkiye, adding that they are forming a "naval base."
"Our new floating production platform is currently on its way. If all goes well, it will arrive in Türkiye by the end of September and in Filyos by the first half of 2025," he explained.
"With this production facility, we will produce 10 million cubic meters of gas daily at a location 170 kilometers (105.63 miles) from the coast for 20 years, and hopefully we will supply this gas to our homes and businesses."
Referring to steps Türkiye undertook to curb the foreign dependence in the defense industry, Bayraktar further conveyed the aim to reduce it in the energy sector as well.
"Türkiye will soon become a country that provides its own energy with its dams, hydraulic power plants and nuclear power plants, and will reduce its dependence on foreign energy," said the minister.
Stating that natural gas studies in Filyos would continue for 20-25 years, Bayraktar however said that the Sakarya Gas Field alone is insufficient and that this production should be increased.
"Therefore, Türkiye will continue to have different operations, different research and studies in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, Somalia, Libya, and many other countries from now on, God willing."
Moreover, all these studies are not limited only to the field of natural gas, said the minister, touching upon the oil production. While Türkiye overall was producing some 36,000 barrels of oil daily eight years ago, Bayraktar noted that at present the production from the Gabar field only was approximately 47,000 barrels.
"Hopefully, we would lift this to 100,000 barrels," he said.
"With the drilling we will carry out in Hakkari, Van, the current work we have done, and the new work we will carry out in the Black Sea, we will both increase the existing reserves and, with new incentives, hopefully, reduce our dependence on foreign sources for oil and natural gas," the minister concluded.