Türkiye boosts gas production in Black Sea

The natural gas production volume at the Sakarya field in the Turkish sector of the Black Sea has reached 5.5 million cubic meters per day.

Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar shared these figures on Kanal 7 channel, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

According to him, the current production volumes allow providing natural gas to 2.4 million subscribers.

"The Black Sea reserves are significant. Three Turkish drilling vessels - Fatih, Yavuz, and Kanuni - are involved in the operations. Our goal is to increase gas production to 6 million cubic meters per day by August and to 10 million cubic meters by 2025," said the Turkish minister.

Bayraktar emphasized that the western regions of the Black Sea are prioritized in terms of deposits. "We plan to start drilling off the coasts of the provinces of Kastamonu, Sakarya, Sinop, and Rize," informed the Minister of Energy.

The minister also highlighted the importance of using nuclear energy for Türkiye's energy security. "This year, testing of the first of four reactors of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant will begin. The reactors will be commissioned gradually - one per year. This will enable Akkuyu to reach full capacity by 2028, covering 10 per cent of Türkiye's electricity needs and reducing natural gas imports by 7 billion cubic meters annually," he concluded.