Turkey to explore oil in Hakkari and Sirnak

Oil exploration activities throughout Turkey have gained momentum. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz said yesterday that out of 57 previously drilled wells, they found oil in 11 and natural gas in 6, adding that they will focus on Hakkari and Sirnak in 2013 and also incorporate the Black Sea Region in their exploratory efforts. Yildiz has previously stated that there was considerable oil potential in the South-eastern Anatolia Region, but terrorism hindered the exploration efforts and the conflict would be ended through oil drilling activities. "Turkey still needs more than the amount we have discovered. We produce around 50,000 barrels of oil, but consume approximately 770,000 of that. Turkey is rapidly growing and we should be engaged in activities that will respond to that growth. The Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) needs to increasingly continue its operations. We have detected eight fields of oil in Southeast Anatolia and three fields of natural gas in Thrace," Yildiz noted. Yildiz added that they worked with five prominent companies of the world thus far to attract investments in offshore explorations and that a new deal concerning the Black Sea with a major global company was underway.