Türkiye Unveils $30B Black Sea Gas Discovery, Boosting Energy Security and Independence
skaraya gas
Türkiye’s energy ambitions reached a new milestone with the discovery of a 75 billion cubic meter natural gas reserve in the Göktepe-3 well of the Black Sea, a move set to strengthen national energy security and reduce dependency on foreign imports.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the major discovery on May 16, hailing it as a pivotal development for Türkiye’s strategic energy future. The reserve, valued at approximately $30 billion, is projected to supply all residential gas demand for three and a half years, according to national energy experts.
Deepwater Discovery Marks Technical Breakthrough
The Göktepe-3 well, located 69 kilometers west of the Sakarya Gas Field and 165 kilometers offshore, was drilled at a depth of 3,500 meters by Abdulhamid Han, one of Türkiye’s advanced deepwater drilling vessels.
Drilling began on March 27 and concluded after a 50-day operation. The find further cements Türkiye’s operational capabilities in the region.
“We’ve gained major expertise in the Black Sea,” said Oğuzhan Akyener, president of the Turkish Energy Strategies and Policies Research Center (TESPAM). He noted that systematic exploration around Sakarya is yielding increasingly promising results.
Reserve Valued at $30B, Phased Production Ahead
Based on current energy prices, Akyener estimated the value of the Göktepe-3 find at 1.2 trillion Turkish lira ($30 billion).
“We won’t extract the entire 75 bcm immediately. With a potential annual output of 6 bcm, the production will be spread out across several years,” he explained. “Thanks to existing infrastructure, scaling operations is now far easier.”
Black Sea Gas Reserves Near 800 bcm
This latest find raises Türkiye’s confirmed Black Sea gas reserves to 785 billion cubic meters—a substantial contribution to its energy independence strategy.
“Energy imports significantly impact our current account deficit. Every new discovery helps us offset that burden and strengthens our geopolitical position,” Akyener said.
Long-term plans include phased development and testing, with projections of full-capacity production ramping up over the next decade.
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