Türkiye discovers $30 billion gas reserve in Black Sea
ISTANBUL
Türkiye has discovered a new natural gas reserve of 75 billion cubic meters (bcm) worth $30 billion in the Black Sea, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on May 17.
"With this amount, we will be able to meet the residential demand alone for approximately 3.5 years," Erdogan said during a speech in Istanbul.
The work at the Göktepe-3 well in the Black Sea, which began on March 27 with the 7th-generation drilling ship Abdülhamid Han, was completed as of May 16, he added.
The president emphasized that the economic value of their natural gas discovery stands at 30 billion dollars.
As part of the Sakarya Project, they will use a floating production platform to develop the field, which will significantly increase its economic contribution, he added.
He noted that the first phase of Black Sea production is now complete, supplying 9.5 million cubic meters of gas daily — enough for 4 million households.
The president further said that the goal is to double production by 2026 and quadruple it by 2028, reaffirming the commitment to achieving full energy independence of Türkiye.
Erdogan stated that drilling operations are continuing with determination and noted that Türkiye has expanded its fleet and built partnerships both domestically and abroad in pursuit of energy independence.
He emphasized Ankara's commitment to energy independence. "We will continue on our path without stopping, without resting, and without paying heed to criticism or obstacles until we reach our goal of a fully energy-independent Türkiye."
After completing its mission in the Mediterranean, Türkiye's seventh-generation deep-sea drilling ship, Abdülhamid Han, passed through the Bosphorus on Aug. 2 last year and began operations in the Black Sea.
Ahead of Erdoğan’s announcement of a new gas discovery, Energy Minister Alparslan on May 16, Bayraktar visited the ship.
He stated that drilling continued at a depth of approximately 3,500 meters, following a water depth of 2,154 meters.
Bayraktar stated that 11 drillings in the Mediterranean and 38 in the Black Sea have been carried out so far.
With the Fatih, Yavuz, Kanuni, and Abdülhamid Han drilling ships, along with the Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa and Oruç Reis seismic survey ships, Türkiye has become one of the countries with the largest offshore fleets in the world, according to Bayraktar.
Türkiye’s first floating production platform arrived in the province of Çanakkale in September last year.
It is currently undergoing maintenance and modernization at a shipyard. The platform is expected to begin operations at the Sakarya Gas Field in 2026.
Once operational, it will add an additional daily production of 10 million cubic meters, bringing the total output to 20 million cubic meters by 2026.
