ZONGULDAK, Türkiye

Türkiye’s first floating natural gas production platform, Osman Gazi, arrived Saturday at Filyos Port in Zonguldak on Türkiye’s Black Sea coast.

The massive platform was sent off from the Presidential Dolmabahce Office in Istanbul on May 29 — the 572nd anniversary of Istanbul’s conquest — in a ceremony attended by President Erdogan and Türkiye’s energy and natural resources minister, and passed through the Istanbul Strait.

With a maximum processing capacity of 10.5 million cubic meters of natural gas per day and a transfer capacity of 10 million cubic meters, the platform will double natural gas production in the Black Sea to 20 million cubic meters daily.

It is expected to meet the natural gas needs of about 8 million households in Türkiye and will operate at the site for 20 years.

The platform, which can accommodate 140 personnel, measures 298.5 meters long, 56 meters wide and 29.5 meters deep. It is expected to begin operations by mid-2026.