New gas reserves found in Black Sea, said Erdogan

Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the country had found new natural gas reserves in the Black Sea.

Erdogan said the July 20 find of 320 billion cubic meters in reserves by Turkey’s drill ship in the Black Sea, the Fatih, had made the country “very happy.”

Erdogan said more good news on natural gas reserves would come from the Fatih’s ongoing activities in the region.

“By going to our drill ship Fatih on Saturday, we’ll both personally witness the efforts on site and announce the amount of the new reserve,” he said.

Amid efforts to find domestic hydrocarbon resources, the Fatih discovered the TUNA-1 well in the Sakarya Gas Field around 170 kilometers (106 miles) off Turkey’s northern coast.

The discovery was the biggest in Turkey’s history. Officials have said the gas from the well would be ready for public use in 2023.