Turkey to launch oil exploration in Libya within coming months

Turkey will begin oil exploration in Libya within 3-4 months as part of an agreement with the Libyan government, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez said Friday.

“Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) submitted an application to the general directorate of mining and oil to carry out oil exploration in its licensed area according to the agreement reached with Libya. 

We will start our activities there in 3-4 months,” he said in a ceremony that marked the sailing off of the drilling ship Fatih that launched the country's first deep-sea drilling operations in the Black Sea.

“Turkey’s first drillship Fatih will start the first drilling in the Tuna-1 location on June 15 as the vessel embarks on a trip to the Black Sea,” he added.

Dönmez also said that Turkey’s third drillship Kanuni, which joined the fleet at the beginning of 2020, is set to sail the Mediterranean for the first time after the completion of development studies as the work aims to be finished this year.