Türkiye plans to increase its presence in international oil and gas exploration and production projects, a top energy official said on Wednesday, as the nation now seeks to join the hydrocarbon search within and off Pakistan.
State-run Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and other Turkish firms are expected to play a more active role in energy initiatives beyond national borders, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said.
In Pakistan for a minerals investment forum, Bayraktar referred to intensive offshore and onshore exploration efforts in recent years Türkiye has pursued as part of its resource exploration strategy launched in 2016.
"We set out with the goal of leaving no unexplored land in Türkiye. We’re now beginning to see the results of this strategy,” he told Anadolu Agency (AA).
He cited the southeastern Gabar region, where oil production has reached 80,000 barrels per day. From the vast reserve in the Black Sea, Türkiye is currently producing 8.5 million cubic meters of natural gas daily.
Under the same vision, Turkish firms are now turning their focus to international opportunities, said Bayraktar.
"Our seismic research vessels are currently operating in Somali waters and are expected to conclude activities by next month,” he said. He added that similar initiatives are underway in Libya, Niger, Iraq, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Türkiye has been conducting exploration off Somalia as part of an agreement it signed with its East African ally in March last year. That was followed by a deal on joint onshore hydrocarbon exploration in late October.
On Tuesday, TPAO signed an agreement that will see it participate in an offshore oil and gas bidding round jointly with Pakistani national energy companies Mari Energies, OGDCL, and PPL.
The tender, scheduled for June 30, will cover 40 offshore blocks, 14 in the Makran Basin and 26 in the Indus Basin.
"This move will not only deepen the strategic energy partnership between Türkiye and Pakistan but also mark a milestone for regional energy security,” Bayraktar said during the signing ceremony.
The cooperation follows President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Islamabad in February, during which the two countries signed multiple energy cooperation agreements.
"This is, in essence, the follow-up to those agreements. Less than two months later, our first concrete project is already underway: a joint exploration initiative between TPAO and Pakistani companies,” Bayraktar noted.
"We are taking this a step further. Not only offshore, but we have also reached an agreement to collaborate on onshore fields that will be developed in the very near future.”
The forum in the South Asian country also saw discussions about expanding cooperation involving Türkiye’s national mining company, Eti Maden, according to Bayraktar.
"We held highly productive meetings on potential partnerships,” he said. "We came here with the goal of advancing the friendship between Türkiye and Pakistan, set forth by our president, through business relations, trade, and increasing investments, and to take concrete steps toward that vision.”