President Erdogan: 58 billion cubic meters of gas discovered in the Black Sea
The Turkish drilling ship Fatih has discovered a new 58 billion cubic meters of gas in the Black Sea, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during a cabinet meeting, Anadolu news agency reported.
“Our drilling vessel Fatih discovered 58 billion cubic meters of natural gas reserves at a depth of 3,023 meters underwater during the drilling of the Cayjuma-1 well,” the head of state said.
Caycuma is a town in Turkey’s Zonguldak province, about 160 kilometers from Ankara, near the Black Sea coast. Turkey has discovered several offshore fields in recent years; according to Erdogan, the size of gas reserves in the Black Sea is now estimated at 710 billion cubic meters, given the new discovery. The revision of forecasts for other reserves from 540 billion cubic meters (such volume was indicated for Sakarya field) to 652 billion cubic meters has also contributed to this statement.
“We want Turkey to be the central energy hub of the Caspian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East,” the President said and promised that drilling for new fields would continue.
The head of Turkish Petroleum Melih Khan Bilgin said in November that this year Turkey will complete 150 drills and in 2023 it is planned to drill 207, Anadolu news agency reported.
Turkey is already building a gas pipeline from Sakarya field, which was discovered in 2020. The country’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez pointed out that its development project could become the “fastest in the world” “from the discovery to the start of production,” as about two and a half years would pass between these events. Erdogan has indicated that gas production could start there as early as next year.
