"The discovery of significant gas resources in the Black Sea could reduce Turkey’s reliance on energy imports"

 

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez speaks on the Turkish drillship Fatih off the Black Sea province of Zonguldak.

The discovery of significant gas resources in the Black Sea could reduce Turkey’s reliance on energy imports, he added.

The size of the discovery dwarfs all the natural gas Turkey has ever produced – 16.6 billion cubic meters – by twenty-fold.

The Fatih has been exploring at the Tuna-1 well, where the find was made, some 100 nautical miles (185 kilometers) north of the Turkish coast in the western Black Sea.

In addition to changing Turkey’s trade balances, the find could also trigger changes in its gas contracts with Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan.