Page 11 - MEOG Week 34 2022

MEOG PROJECTS & COMPANIES MEOG

Trillion to move rig to SASB

gas field in Turkish Black Sea

TURKEY TRILLION Energy International said on August the first phase of Sakarya’s development would
22 that the Uranus jack-up drilling rig was being yield 10mn cubic metres per day (3.65bn cubic
prepared to move to its SASB natural gas field metres per year) of gas which will begin being
in the Turkish section of the Black Sea where it fed into the national transmission system during
will be used for a multi-well drilling programme. Q1 2023.
According to a report by Offshore Engineer, Capital expenditure of around $3.2bn is
the programme initially includes seven natural believed to be required to achieve first gas.
gas production wells. National transmission system operator
There remains considerable scepticism BOTAS said that the first section of the pipeline
among oil and gas analysts as to how volumi- would be completed on November 6 at which
nous Turkey’s Black Sea hydrocarbon resources point it will be able to buy Sakarya gas and pipe it
will prove to be, despite some big claims from the through its network.
Erdogan administration, but Trillion Energy was Speaking at the Grand National Assembly,
cited as saying that the wells would come online BOTAS general manager Burhan Ozcan said:
“during a time when acute natural gas short- “We need to be ready systematically when our
ages are menacing Europe and Turkey. Natural Black Sea gas comes into operation in 2023. All
gas prices continue to spike, breaking historical infrastructure works related to this have been
records; the prospect of a cold winter looms with planned and investments have been initiated.”
the worst shortages expected yet to come.” BOTAS General Manager Burhan Ozcan said at
Arthur Halleran, the company’s CEO, was the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
reported as adding: “We are pleased to announce He added: “The carrying capacity of our
a clear path to drilling and gas production – we infrastructure will be 18-20bcm per year […]
are counting the days before we embark on this The day TPAO brings 40mcm ashore, we will be
historic milestone achievement to bring sub- in a position to carry it.”
stantial new gas production into the region at a Meanwhile, Erdogan added that output from
critical time.” Sakarya would ramp up to reach a peak produc-
Elsewhere in the Turkish Black Sea sector the tion level of around 15bcm per year in 2026, a
pipelaying began on a conduit that will tie-back year later than previous guidance.
the flagship Sakarya field ahead of first gas in Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) discovered 320bn
early 2023. cubic metres of gas at the Tuna-1 well in August
The pipeline will connect the Sakarya gas 2020 and this was subsequently upgraded to
field, which lies around 150km offshore Turkey’s 405bcm two months later and renamed Sakarya.
northern Zonguldak coast, to gas processing In June 2021, the company announced that it
facilities under construction at the port of Filyos. had found another 135bcm with the Asmara-1
Speaking to press there in early June, Turk- well, taking the total volume discovered so far at
ish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Sakarya to 540bcm.™

Week 34 24•August•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P11