ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s drill ship “Fatih” has started operations at its new location at the Goktepe-2 well in the Sakarya Gas Field in the Black Sea, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar confirmed via X on Thursday.

Türkiye is simultaneously ramping up production and exploring new fields, Bayraktar said.

The Fatih drill ship boasts a length of 229 meters and a width of 36 meters. Its gross tonnage weighs in at 51,283.

Fatih is the country’s first drill ship and joined the fleet of the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) in 2017. The ship conducted its first drilling expedition in the Black Sea on July 20, 2020. August 21 marked its first success story following a month of work at the Tuna-1 location off the coast of Zonguldak in the Black Sea region.

Türkiye has several ships for exploration and drilling activities in its territorial waters. Drill ships Fatih, Yavuz, Kanuni and Abdulhamid Han, along with seismic exploration vessels Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa and MTA Oruc Reis, are active in the country’s oil and gas exploration projects.