Istanbul- Turkey announced a record achievement in natural gas production from the Sakarya gas field, with daily production reaching 5 million cubic metres, enough to meet the needs of two million Turkish families, in a step that reflects its commitment to achieving independence in the energy sector and strengthening its position as a regional economic power.
Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alp Arslan Bayraktar recently said that natural gas production from the Sakarya field will contribute significantly to reducing the national energy bill, which constitutes a large portion of the country’s trade deficit.
He pointed out that Turkey seeks to increase its current oil production of 42,500 barrels per day to 50,000 barrels by next June, with the aim of covering a larger portion of its daily need of one million barrels.
Minister Bayraktar announced plans to produce 10 million cubic meters of gas in the first quarter of 2025, noting that thanks to the new discoveries, they aim to achieve self-sufficiency in meeting the entire demand for natural gas for homes by 2028 through local production.
Bayraktar added that the Sakarya field, which extends over an area of approximately 10,000 square kilometers, is currently witnessing production operations from an area of 2,200 square kilometers, after the completion of exploration in 25% of the total field.
He pointed out that exploration efforts are continuing to fully explore the field, which enhances a comprehensive understanding of its potential.
New excavation work
The Turkish Minister indicated that the Fatih ship had begun new exploration work in the Goktepe-2 well in the Black Sea (northern Turkey), expressing his aspirations to announce positive discoveries soon.
He stated that Turkey is currently continuing production in 4 regions, and that there will be no place left in Turkish geography that has not been searched for oil, with plans for production in 10 other regions.
Oil exploration work continues in the cities of Hakkari and Van, where studies indicate the possibility of the existence of fields similar to the oil fields in Ghabar, as it is planned to open 140 oil wells for exploration purposes throughout Turkey during the current year.
As oil and natural gas exploration continues, the General Directorate of Minerals and Petroleum Affairs of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources last January granted permits to Turkish companies to explore for oil in 18 sites in 14 different provinces for a period of 5 years.
Positive expectations
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum expects the production of the Turkish Sakarya gas field in the Black Sea to reach 1.6 billion cubic meters this year, with estimates that it will rise to 3.5 billion cubic meters in the first phase of the field, while annual production will reach 11 billion cubic meters with the completion of the development of the phase. the second.
Developments in the Sakarya gas field are in line with Türkiye’s goals of reducing its external dependence in the field of energy. Turkey’s natural gas production is expected to reach 13 billion cubic meters by 2050, with the possibility of increasing production thanks to field expansion and potential discoveries in the basin south of Akkoja.
Turkey imported 54 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2022, 72% of which came through pipelines, which reflects the diversity of natural gas sources in Turkey, which receives gas from Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan, in addition to 5 liquefied natural gas stations with a total capacity of 27. Million tons annually.
Turkey seeks to achieve self-sufficiency in the field of energy during the next 30 years, according to the goals of the “Turkey Century” vision. However, the report indicates an increase in natural gas imports that may reach 55 billion cubic meters annually by 2050, with liquefied natural gas imports decreasing to 8. Millions of tons annually. This balance requires achieving major discoveries and increasing local production to gradually reduce dependence on imports.
Energy independence
According to statistics from the Turkish Statistical Institute and the Ministry of Trade, Turkey’s total imports last December decreased by 11% compared to the same month in 2022, reaching $29.04 billion, and it is expected that these imports will record $77.3 billion in 2024, and $76.3 billion Dollar in 2025.
Despite this general decline in energy imports, crude oil imports witnessed an increase of 28.04% during the same period, reaching 2.9 million tons.
Early this year, Turkey announced plans to invest about $20 billion in energy efficiency by 2030, while pledging to reduce energy consumption and fossil fuel emissions.
In this context, the Turkish Minister of Energy said: “By implementing this action plan, we will reduce our energy consumption by 16% by 2030, and contribute to reducing 100 million tons of emissions.”
International expansion
Energy affairs researcher Jeran Biltekin explained in an interview with Al Jazeera Net that Turkey, in addition to its focus on exploring and producing oil and gas within its territory through the Turkish Petroleum Company, also works abroad, especially in geographically neighboring countries.
She pointed out that the Turkish Petroleum Company is participating in 10 different projects in Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, where it carries out activities in oil and natural gas fields.
Biletkin added: “In 2022, the Turkish Petroleum Company produced a total of 35.47 million barrels of oil equivalent hydrocarbons from fields in these five countries. Libya is scheduled to be added to the five countries concerned in the near future, as negotiations on this issue are ongoing.”
She noted that “Somalia, in particular, has undiscovered marine areas containing large quantities of oil. It is planned that 3D seismic research will be conducted in one of Somalia’s marine areas before the end of 2024, and based on the expected results, research will begin.” Drilling operations in 2025.
