Türkiye in talks with US Chevron for oil, gas exploration: Report

ISTANBUL

Türkiye's state-run Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) is negotiating a potential partnership with U.S. energy giant Chevron for joint oil and natural gas exploration, according to a Bloomberg report citing an anonymous Turkish source.

The discussions focus on collaborating in seismic surveys and drilling operations, the source indicated.

The move aligns with Ankara's efforts to ramp up domestic energy output and coincides with improving U.S.-Türkiye relations. It follows a January agreement with ExxonMobil for similar explorations in the Black Sea and Mediterranean regions.

The Turkish Energy Ministry and TPAO have not commented on the matter yet.

A Chevron spokesperson told Bloomberg, "Chevron maintains a globally diversified exploration and production portfolio and continues to evaluate potential opportunities. As per company policy, we do not comment on commercial matters."

Details on specific projects remain unclear.

TPAO currently operates in the Black Sea, Iraq, Russia, and Somalia and has previously conducted drills in the Eastern Mediterranean, where Chevron holds interests off the islands of Israel and Cyprus.

In recent years, Ankara has prioritized boosting local production and expanding TPAO's international footprint to cut reliance on imported oil and gas.