Türkiye's seventh-generation drill ship, Abdulhamid Han, is heading to the Black Sea on Friday to start drilling in the region after crossing Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait.
Abdulhamid Han vessel will cross the straits towards its new location in the Black Sea, Alparslan Bayraktar, Turkish energy and natural resources minister, told reporters abroad the vessel which is the fourth ship in Türkiye's deep sea drilling fleet.
The vessel has already conducted three deep-sea drills in the Mediterranean Sea.
Abdulhamid Han ship will first sail to Filyos port in Zonguldak, northwestern Türkiye, to have its towers reinstalled as they were dismantled for the Istanbul Strait crossing.
Citing the largest natural gas discovery in Turkish history in the Sakarya Gas Field in 2020, Bayraktar said, 'There is a very large reserve in that region… We need to increase the production of Sakarya Gas Field very quickly.'
When asked about the drilling activities in the Mediterranean Sea, Bayraktar said that the Mediterranean Sea was the first location for long-term oil and natural gas exploration and offshore exploration.
He added that the activities in the Mediterranean spurred the country to expand its fleet.
Abdulhamid Han's move to the Black Sea should not be interpreted as losing hope for a discovery in the Mediterranean, Bayraktar underlined and added, 'We have never given up on (drilling activities in) the Mediterranean Sea... There are locations in the Mediterranean where we are very hopeful.'
Although so far, no discoveries have been made in the region, he said, 'We will continue to be active in the Mediterranean.'
The minister said that Türkiye plans to carry out seismic works in 2026 in the 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 Oruc Reis, are active in the country's oil and gas exploration endavours.
Last month, the Turkish minister announced that one of these vessels, Oruc Reis, will be sent to Somalia to conduct seismic study in the region in October.
By Firdevs Yuksel and Handan Kazanci
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr