21.04.2025 10:03
The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, provided new information regarding oil and natural gas exploration activities. Bayraktar stated, "We are working on an exploration program that indicates there is oil in Diyarbakır and gas potential in Thrace."
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Economy Management met with journalists after the second Economy Coordination Council (EKK) meeting of this year, held in Giresun as part of the Eastern Black Sea Project (DOKAP) Action Plan Information and Consultation Meeting, to answer questions on the agenda.
"DOMESTIC OIL PRODUCTION HAS EXCEEDED 130 THOUSAND BARRELS"
Minister Bayraktar stated that they are conducting a multi-faceted and layered process regarding oil and gas exploration within the scope of energy policy, and noted the following:
"In Turkey, Gabar has reached 80 thousand barrels. Our domestic production in Turkey has exceeded 130 thousand barrels. The first phase of the Sakarya Gas Field has been completed. We are continuing the activities for the second phase of production, which will double this with a daily production of approximately 9.5 million cubic meters. In addition to Gabar and the Sakarya Gas Field, we are also continuing our work related to new fields, that is, exploration activities. Therefore, on one hand, we want to increase production, and on the other hand, we want to add the new reserves we find through new discoveries to our production reserves. Work continues in this regard."
DİYARBAKIR OIL AND GAS POTENTIAL IN TRAKYA
Recalling that last month, Turkey Petroleum Corporation signed an agreement in the USA to establish a partnership for unconventional oil and gas production in four fields in Diyarbakır as part of a long-term strategy, Bayraktar said, "We will experience a process in which we will evaluate and start drilling in the field within 2025. This is a new phase, a new stage in Turkish oil and natural gas exploration. We are working on an exploration program in Diyarbakır, where there is oil, and in Trakya, where there is gas potential."
Bayraktar continued his remarks as follows:
"In the next process, Turkey will be very active in oil and natural gas exploration abroad. The first target here is the countries where we have our assets, productions, and operations. Primarily Azerbaijan or the Caspian basin geography. We have two new offshore fields we are interested in here. In addition, we are interested in fields in Iraq, both in Northern Iraq and what I would call Southern Basra. We currently have operations in one field in Russia, and we aim to increase that as well. There are also new countries. One of the countries we have started working with is Somalia. We added three blocks offshore and three blocks on land in Somalia. On April 10, this agreement was made by Turkey Petroleum, and we will start exploration on land in Somalia. Our seismic data collection work offshore will be completed by the end of May. By the end of the year, we will have made our decision regarding drilling here."
"AN AGREEMENT WILL BE SIGNED FOR A BLOCK IN THE BULGARIA ECONOMIC ZONE"
Bayraktar also recalled that they signed an agreement with a Pakistani state company to conduct exploration in the Pakistani offshore, stating, "There is a contribution from the interest of these countries in Turkey, our bilateral cooperation, high-level cooperation, and harmony. But Turkey's offshore capability developed in recent years, that is, its ability to explore and produce in the seas, affects them in this regard. There is also a technical and commercial motivation behind these agreements."
Regarding cooperation with Bulgaria and Hungary, Bayraktar said, "We will probably finalize the agreement next month. Turkey Petroleum will sign an agreement with a foreign company in Bulgaria for a block in the Bulgarian sea, in the Bulgarian economic zone. Likewise, we signed a strategic partnership agreement with Hungary's MOL company both in Hungary and outside of Hungary."
Bayraktar noted that one of the target countries is Turkmenistan, stating, "We started receiving gas from Turkmenistan for the first time as of March 1. Now we are in the process of working on gas and oil fields in Turkmenistan. A process is awaiting us in which we can announce new agreements in Libya to the public through you in the near future."
"OUR COOPERATION AND TRADE IN LNG CAN INCREASE"
Bayraktar stated that they are focusing on what can be done to reduce imports in the energy sector, and noted the following:
"We are involved in activities that will reduce Turkey's oil and gas imports, thus increasing our production. On one hand, by diversifying resources, that is, reducing our current imports, not only through production but also by obtaining from countries at a lower cost, by differentiating the countries we obtain from, our cooperation and trade with different countries, especially in the LNG field, may increase in the upcoming process. We will continue to be involved in activities that will reduce our costs, with Turkmenistan being an important example."
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