Türkiye is set to accelerate hydrocarbon exploration and drilling activities in the Black Sea and off the coast of Somalia in April, as it mobilizes its expanding energy fleet and intensifies efforts to boost oil and gas production.
The country has spent the last decade building a large offshore fleet aimed at reducing reliance on imported energy through locally sourced natural gas and oil.
The latest campaign began on March 26, when the Abdülhamid Han drillship started this year's first exploration well at the Kandıra-2 site off the coast of the northwestern Kocaeli.
In April, the Fatih drillship is expected to begin operations at the Eflani-1 well in the Black Sea, while the newly acquired Çağrı Bey is scheduled to start drilling at the Curad-1 well off Somalia by the end of the month.
Türkiye added two new seventh-generation ultra-deepwater drillships, Yıldırım and Çağrı Bey, to its fleet this year, increasing the number of drillships it operates to six.
With the addition of the two vessels, Türkiye now ranks fourth globally in terms of fleet size when drillships and seismic vessels are combined.
The Yıldırım, which was completed in South Korea in 2024, passed through the Bosporus in late January after preparations at Taşucu Port in Mersin province and headed toward its assigned mission in the Black Sea.
The vessel can drill to depths of up to 12,000 meters, is 228 meters long and 42 meters wide, and includes a helipad and living quarters for 200 personnel.
The Çağrı Bey departed for Somalia in February and is expected to drill in areas previously surveyed by the seismic vessel Oruç Reis.
Çağrı Bey will become Türkiye's first drillship to operate abroad after Oruç Reis.
Centerpiece remains Sakarya gas development
Türkiye's drilling push has been centered on the Sakarya Gas Field, where the country made its largest-ever natural gas discovery in 2020.
The discovery, made by the Fatih drillship and believed to contain about 720 billion cubic meters of gas, was also the world's largest offshore gas find that year.
The Fatih vessel, Türkiye's first national drillship, joined the fleet in 2017 and began the country's first deep-sea drilling campaign in the Black Sea in 2020 at the Tuna-1 location off Zonguldak.
Fatih is currently continuing drilling work at the Göktepe-2 well in the Black Sea, which began in May 2024.
The ship is capable of drilling at depths of up to 12,200 meters and can maintain position in waves up to 6 meters (19.69 feet) high thanks to its dynamic positioning system.
Existing vessels continue operations
The Yavuz, Türkiye's second drillship, also continues gas exploration activities in the Black Sea.
Originally built in 2011, Yavuz joined the fleet in 2018 after being acquired by Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO).
The ship can also drill to depths of 12,200 meters and is among a limited number of double-tower drillships worldwide, allowing it to perform simultaneous operations.
Türkiye's third drillship, the Kanuni, joined the fleet in 2020 and has been active at the Sakarya Gas Field since 2021.
Kanuni carried out deep-sea well testing at the Türkali-2 well and remains involved in hydrocarbon exploration in the Black Sea.
The Abdülhamid Han vessel, which joined the fleet in 2022, is considered the most advanced and powerful drillship in Türkiye's fleet.
The vessel can drill at depths of up to 12,200 meters and has a capacity for 200 crew members.
Seismic vessels support exploration
Türkiye's exploration strategy is also supported by seismic research ships that collect geological data before drilling begins.
The Barbaros Hayreddin Paşa, purchased in 2012, is capable of conducting both two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic surveys and can examine geological structures up to 8 kilometers below the seabed.
The ship is currently operating in the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, the Oruç Reis vessel, which was built with domestic resources and entered service in 2017, can conduct deep seismic surveys down to 15,000 meters below the seabed.
In addition to oil and gas exploration, Oruç Reis can also carry out scientific studies related to continental shelf boundaries and seabed analysis.
The vessel carried out exploration work in Somali waters last year as part of an energy cooperation agreement between Türkiye and Somalia and is currently stationed at Filyos Port.