The transfer of Eastern Mediterranean oil and natural gas resources through the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Turkey to international markets would be more economical and viable compared to LNG terminals in Egypt, TRNC's Economy and Energy Minister, told Anadolu Agency on Thursday.
Speaking exclusively to AA, Sunat Atun said that Turkey and TRNC are continuing oil and natural gas exploration in the Mediterranean.
As some works have been finalized and data analysis is underway, exploration is currently ongoing in the offshore region of Guzelyurt district, Atun explained.
Turkey's first seismic vessel Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa began operations in the Mediterranean in April 2017 while a second vessel, MTA Oruc Reis, will soon be ready for exploration.
'In our latest visit to Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa seismic vessel with Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Mr. Berat Albayrak, we underlined our determination to continue our exploration works in the Mediterranean on behalf of Turkey and TRNC,' Atun noted.
Atun asserted that Shell's recent plans to bring natural gas from Israel’s Leviathan field and from the Aphrodite gas field in Greek-administered Southern Cyprus to LNG terminals in Egypt would be neither economical nor viable.
Last week, international media outlets reported that Shell is in talks to buy natural gas from the Leviathan field and the Aphrodite field, in which it part owns with a 35 percent stake, and pump it to an LNG plant in Egypt.
The Leviathan field, discovered in 2009, holds an estimated 613 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas with 39.4 million barrels of condensates. The field is set to begin production in the fourth quarter of 2019. The relatively small Aphrodite field is estimated to hold 127 bcm capacity.
Atun advised that Turkey's southeastern port of Ceyhan in the Mediterranean Sea has become one of the main energy terminals in the region over the years and its importance is growing with the latest exploratory and drilling activities.
'It is an important center which has a wide range of links to Europe, the Caucasus and the Middle East,' he said.
Atun suggested that rather than carrying Eastern Mediterranean gas through LNG terminals in Egypt as Shell proposes, these resources, with the partnership of Turkish Petroleum, could be transferred to the Ceyhan port to reach European markets.
Efforts to find a solution through LNG terminals in Egypt are not meaningful as the country's production is only enough for its consumption, Atun said.
'If these resources can be transferred through the Ceyhan port, it would be supplied at a price reasonable enough for the EU to agree,' he asserted.
Turkey and Israel are in negotiations to build a gas pipeline between Israel and Turkey to transport natural gas supplies from the Leviathan gas field in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel to Europe.
The negotiations involve both commercial Turkish and Israeli companies as well as government officials.
In a recent visit to Turkey on the sidelines of 22nd World Petroleum Congress in Istanbul, Israel's Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources, Yuval Steinitz said that Turkey and Israel agreed to try to conclude the inter-governmental umbrella agreement that will enable the construction of the Turkey-Israel pipeline by the end of this year.
By Ebru Sengul
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr