President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Friday that Turkey had discovered in the Black Sea “the biggest“natural gas deposit”of its history“, adding that his country hoped to start distributing it in 2023.
“Turkey made the biggest natural gas discovery in its history in the Black Sea“Erdogan said during a speech in Istanbul, specifying that these reserves were estimated at 320 billion cubic meters.
God has opened a door for us to unseen riches
The Turkish head of state considered that this discovery was of “historical significance for the future“from Turkey, which depends almost exclusively on imports to satisfy its growing appetite for energy.
“God has opened a door for us to unseen riches“, he enthused.”Our goal is to put Black Sea gas at the service of our nation by 2023“, he continued.
Research will intensify
Erdogan said the discovery was made in the Tuna-1 exploration well. According to him, the first indications “suggest that the discovered deposit is part of a much larger reserve“, he added, without further details.
The Turkish president also said that Turkey would accelerate its search for hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean in the coming months, ignoring the European Union’s calls for de-escalation in a context of growing tensions.
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“We will speed up our operations in the Mediterranean with the deployment at the end of the year of the Kanuni (drilling vessel), which is currently under maintenance.“said the Turkish president, adding that he hoped there”make similar discoveries“to the one announced this Friday.
Another drilling vessel and several Turkish seismic research vessels are already deployed in areas of the eastern Mediterranean disputed between Turkey, Greece and Cyprus.
Escalating tensions with Greece
Two weeks ago, Ankara sent the research vessel Oruç Reis, escorted by warships, to an area claimed by Greece, triggering an escalation of tensions.
The discovery in recent years of large gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean has aroused the appetite of the riparian countries.
Feeling excluded from sharing, Ankara has stepped up unilateral drilling, drawing the wrath of its neighbors and the EU.
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