Türkiye plans 3 more drilling ops to 'increase energy independence'

Türkiye is set to initiate three additional drilling operations aimed at bolstering the nation's energy self-sufficiency following significant oil discovery in the southeast region, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has unveiled.

"Türkiye needs a few more [oil discoveries like the one in] Gabar," Bayraktar remarked during a televised interview with public broadcaster TRT Haber on Aug. 28, citing the newfound oil reservoir in the country's southeastern frontier area, which was announced by the state oil company TPAO in early May.

The minister hinted at an upcoming drilling venture in the eastern province of Van scheduled for September.

Türkiye's geopolitical location is of utmost importance, with the neighboring countries collectively hosting two-thirds of the world's oil and natural gas reserves, he asserted.

Türkiye's geographic location, surrounded by countries that hold two-thirds of global oil and natural gas reserves, underlines its strategic importance, he asserted, urging TPAO, pipeline company Botaş and the Turkish private sector for active engagement in neighboring regions such as Libya and Iraq.

The expansion of drilling activities is set to encompass regions like the central and eastern Black Sea, Bayraktar revealed. "We have targeted areas in both Ordu and Rize," he elaborated.

Addressing a fundamental policy objective, Bayraktar underscored the pressing need to diminish foreign energy dependency. "Türkiye is 70 percent foreign-dependent in energy," he disclosed. "We import 92 percent of our oil, which amounted to 50 million tons last year, valued at approximately $40 billion in 2022. Our coal imports reached 38 million tons, equating to $9-10 billion."

The minister discussed the...