Erdogan says Turkey will accelerate Black Sea gas production from Sakarya field

Turkey will ramp up gas production at its flagship Black Sea project as much as a year faster than previously planned, according to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Daily output at the Sakarya field will peak at 40 million cubic meters in 2026, Erdogan said on Monday, ahead of September’s guidance of 2027. The planned start date of the first quarter next year is unchanged.

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Erdogan’s promise to speed up production comes as he tries to shore up support ahead of elections in June 2023. Turkey is a large net energy importer and the Black Sea gas finds could strengthen its current-account balance, in turn helping the lira.

Sakarya was the first major discovery in Turkey’s push to develop domestic energy resources and cut reliance on foreign suppliers, dominated by Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan.

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