Drillship Fatih working on 3rd exploration well

Drillship Fatih, owned by the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO), started drilling its third exploration well in the Sakarya Gas Field in the Black Sea region, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said yesterday.

In a tweet, Dönmez said that the ship will carry out its exploration for natural gas for about 10 weeks at a depth of 5,000 meters below sea level at the Karasu-1 well.

Turkey currently has two seismic research ships - Oruç Reis and Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa - and three drill ships - Fatih, Kanuni and Yavuz - operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, with a fourth drilling ship scheduled for operation in the summer.

Natural gas flow from the Sakarya Gas Field is expected to reach the natural gas processing facility to be established in the Black Sea coastal town of Filyos in 2023. Dönmez previously said the maximum annual production from the field could range between 15 and 20 bcm, corresponding to around 30 percent of the country's yearly gas consumption.