Turkey is at an advantage in finding many collaboration options and affordable technical solutions to support its latest natural gas discovery in the Black Sea at a time of inactivity in the global oil and gas market, according to the chairman of Mining, Energy Management and Investments Committee Chairman of Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD).
According to Cihad Terzioglu, Turkey has a window of opportunity to act on collaboration and rental solutions in the Black Sea given that the discovery coincided with the period when there are no major movements or hydrocarbon discoveries in the global oil and gas industry.
The discovery will help Turkey reduce its gas import bill in meeting the country’s gas demand and in progressing towards a center when gas prices are determined, he said.
Turkey's first national drillship Fatih discovered 405 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas last year in the country’s largest discovery ever in its history and the biggest offshore gas discovery worldwide in 2020 at the Tuna-1 well located about 170 kilometers off Turkey's Zonguldak coast.
"Determination� is the key issue for Turkey to realize its goal of starting production by 2023, Terzioglu said, relaying that through determination Turkey was able to achieve its infrastructure goals with the new airport in Istanbul.
Citing the examples of successful oil and gas exploration in Egypt’s Zohr field and the Tamar and Leviathan fields, which are located at similar offshore distances to Turkey’s fields, and where gas was pumped into the network within 2-3 years, he asserted that Turkey’s goal is achievable in producing 10 million cubic meters of gas per day, equivalent to an annual volume of approximately between 3.5 and 4 bcm.
- Qualified employment opportunity
The new discovery promises skilled employment contributing to the country’s economy, and the possibility of attracting Turkey’s experienced oil and gas engineers from abroad thus reversing the brain drain, Terzioglu said.
After Turkey's historical gas discovery in the Black Sea last year, the Fatih drillship drilled the Turkali-1 and Turkali-2 testing wells along with the Amasra-1 exploration well located in the northern part of the Sakarya gas field.
Fatih is currently drilling the Turkali-3 testing well while another drillship, Kanuni, is carrying out completion tests at the Turkali-2 well.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on June 4 that Fatih discovered 135 bcm in the Amasra-1 well, increasing Turkey's gas discoveries in the Black Sea to 540 bcm.
By Murat Temizer
Anadolu Agency