Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister, Alparslan Bayraktar, in an interview with the Turkish publication Hürriyet has announced the start of a new era in oil and natural gas exploration, both domestically and internationally.
Speaking of the gas imports from Turkmenistan, he said that the Turkmen gas will flow through the territory of Iran from 1 March 2025. The initial volume would be 1.3 billion cubic meters, enough to supply 1.5 million households, he said. Bayraktar said that Türkiye is working to extend its five-year swap agreement and aims to eventually transport Turkmen gas via a Caspian-transit pipeline.
He also told that the Black Sea gas field currently produces 7 million cubic meters daily, meeting the needs of 3 million households. This will rise to 9.5 million cubic meters by March 30 (Eid al-Fitr) and double to 20 million cubic meters by Q3 2026, covering 15% of Türkiye’s annual gas consumption.
In the Gabar oil field, he said, Türkiye aims for a daily production of 100,000 barrels, with 153 exploration wells planned this year.
Speaking of the international cooperation, Bayraktar informed that Türkiye will expand its involvement in oil and gas projects abroad, including collaborations in Libya, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Somalia. It holds licenses for three offshore blocks in Somalia and plans to sign deals for onshore fields soon. /// nCa, 26 February 2025