Türkiye expands deep-sea fleet with high-capacity gas platform

A new production platform, expected to embark for Türkiye by the end of 2027, is scheduled to become operational by mid-2028, further boosting the country’s offshore energy capabilities in the Black Sea.

The platform, which will be Türkiye’s second floating production unit (FPU), is designed to produce up to 25 million cubic meters of natural gas per day., Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

In the initial phase, production is targeted at 20 million cubic meters daily from a total of 27 deep-sea wells.

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, speaking on August 23, highlighted the importance of the new platform for the country’s offshore production efforts.

“With our new platform, which will take us into phase three, our production in the Sakarya Gas Field will increase fourfold compared to current levels, reaching 40 million cubic meters per day,” Bayraktar stated.

The addition of the platform will further strengthen Türkiye’s presence in deep waters and expand its production capacity. Once completed, the country’s fleet will rise to 10 vessels: six drilling ships, two seismic research vessels, and two FPUs.

The platform, designed in a ship format, is under construction through a contract with a China-based company. The agreement covers engineering, procurement, manufacturing, installation, and commissioning, and production of the platform is already underway.

Measuring 273 meters in length, 54 meters in width, and 26 meters in depth, the platform will be installed approximately 180 kilometres offshore at a depth of around 2,200 meters. It will be anchored securely to the seabed using a 20-line mooring system arranged in four groups. The facility will also be equipped with accommodation for 150 personnel.

The platform will handle the on-site processing of raw natural gas, including well management, water separation, drying, compression, measurement, and other technical operations. After processing, the natural gas will be transported to the mainland via a subsea pipeline and will then be delivered directly into Türkiye’s national transmission network.

By Tamilla Hasanova