Türkiye's gas production up 112% annually as Black Sea discovery boosts output

Türkiye's total natural gas production increased by 112.55% last year on an annual basis to reach 807.28 million cubic meters, Azernews reports citing the Energy Market Regulatory Authority's (EMRA) annual natural gas report.

According to the report, domestic production has ramped up since production started at the country’s natural gas discovery in the Black Sea in September 2023.

Eight companies that hold wholesale licenses in Türkiye are responsible for the production and distribution of natural gas.

These companies are TPAO, Arar Petrol, Park Place Energy Limited, Thrace Basin Natural Gas Corporation Turkey, Petrogas, Atli Makina, Marsa Turkey B.V. and Transatlantic Petroleum.

These eight companies produced and provided 807.28 million cubic meters of natural gas to the system last year, an increase of 112.55% over the year before.

According to the report, a major portion of this enhanced production was brought about by the discovery of natural gas in the Black Sea Sakarya gas field, which began producing and supplying the system in September 2023.

Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO), Thrace Basin, and Park Place companies were responsible for the production and distribution of the vast majority of this Black Sea natural gas.

Prior to the Sarkarya gas field discovery, Türkiye's natural gas production saw annual declines. In 2019, Türkiye's natural gas production was recorded at 473.87 million cubic meters. This dropped to 441.27 million cubic meters in 2020, down to 394.44 million cubic meters in 2021, and to 379.81 million cubic meters in 2022.

The largest amount of natural gas available for purchase was 337.8 million cubic meters in the Zonguldak province, where Black Sea gas was generated by companies holding wholesale gas licenses. The neighboring province of Tekirdag followed with 243.32 million cubic meters, nearby Kirklareli with 108.7 million cubic meters, Duzce with 55.95 million cubic meters, and Istanbul with 55.90 million cubic meters.

Out of the 10 provinces that were supplied with Black Sea gas, Hatay received the least, with a mere 4,000 cubic meters.

The production regions' wellhead compressed natural gas license holders, distribution firms, importer companies, wholesale corporations, and commercial and industrial facilities were all given access to the natural gas generated last year.

The Sakarya gas field, which covers an area of approximately 10,000 square kilometers, has a production area of 2,200 square kilometers.

Work continues in the field where 25% of its resources have been exploited and produced.

Alparslan Bayraktar, the minister of energy and natural resources, stated on April 19 that efforts to increase natural gas production in the field have been ongoing, with an increase in daily natural gas production targeted at 5 million cubic meters by May.

Bayraktar is optimistic that new discoveries in various locations at the field will yield more reserves. To this end, he anticipates that more discoveries will be announced in July following field evaluations and drillings at the Goktepe-1 and Goktepe-2 wells in the Sakarya field.