Türkiye aims to boost regional energy cooperation: Minister

ISTANBUL

Türkiye seeks to strengthen international cooperation in the field of energy, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has said.

“The initial focus will be on countries where we currently have assets, production and operations, primarily Azerbaijan and the Caspian Basin region. We have interests in two new offshore fields there,” Bayraktar told reporters.

Additionally, Türkiye is interested in fields both in northern Iraq and the Basra region in southern Iraq. In Russia, Türkiye currently has operations in one field and plans to expand its presence there, the minister added.

Bayraktar also noted that Somalia was among the new countries Türkiye had begun working with, recalling that Türkiye added three onshore blocks to its three offshore blocks there.

“Turkish Petroleum signed an agreement regarding these blocks on April 10, and we have begun land-based explorations in Somalia,” he said.

“Our seismic data collection offshore will conclude by the end of May, after which we'll make drilling decisions by year-end,” Bayraktar explained.

He also mentioned cooperation with Pakistan's state company for offshore explorations.

Bayraktar also said Türkiye is engaged in oil and gas field development in Turkmenistan and added that new agreements with Libya are expected soon.

On cooperation with Bulgaria, Bayraktar said: “We are likely to finalize an agreement. Turkish Petroleum will sign a deal with a foreign company for exploration in a block in Bulgaria's maritime economic zone.”

“We have also established a strategic partnership with Hungary's MOL company for joint operations within and outside Hungary,” he added.

Bayraktar said that last month, Turkish Petroleum signed a deal in the U.S. to partner on unconventional oil and gas production in four fields in eastern Diyarbakir, as part of the country's long-term strategy.

Noting that Türkiye will begin field assessments and drilling this year, Bayraktar said this represents a new milestone in Türkiye's oil and gas exploration efforts.

Türkiye is working on an exploration program with oil potential in eastern Diyarbakir province and gas potential in the Thrace region of northwestern Türkiye.

He also announced that daily gas production at the Sakarya Gas Field in the Black Sea has reached 9.5 million cubic meters (mcm), which supplies energy to over 4 million households.

The first phase of the Sakarya Gas Field is complete and operations continue for the second phase, which will double current output levels, Bayraktar said.