Turkish TPAO planning to launch oil and natural gas drilling in TRNC
Turkey to launch oil drilling in Turkish Cypriot stateTurkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) will launch oil and natural gas land drilling initiatives in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) at the end of April.
TRNC Economy and Energy Minister Sunat Atun said that TPAO was planning to launch oil and natural gas drilling in TRNC at the end of this month after completing technical preparations.
“Drilling will be launched in one area now, but it could be broadened in case of any need,” Atun told AA correspondent in an exclusive interview.
Atun said Turkish Energy & Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz would attend a ceremony that would take place to launch drilling.
Moreover, Atun said 75 million cubic meters of water would be brought to TRNC from Turkey, and half of it would be used in industry, tourism and general areas, and the rest in agriculture.
“This is a project that will meet TRNC’s water need for 50 years,” Atun said.
3,000-metre well will be dug in Sinirustu village of Iskele. The well is named “Turkyurdu-1”.
On September 21, 2011, Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Dervis Eroglu of TRNC signed in New York an agreement on the delineation of the continental shelf between two countries in the East Mediterranean. Under the agreement, TPAO shall be able to make three dimensional seismic research and drilling in TRNC land and sea more actively.
The agreement followed a Greek Cypriot move to start offshore drilling for natural gas and oil in the southeast of the Eastern Mediterranean island.
On September 22, 2011, TRNC Council of Ministers gave exploration license to TPAO to explore oil and natural gas around Cyprus island TPAO, by Piri Reis vessel, began geophysical research and seismic data collecting studies on behalf of TRNC on September 26, 2011.
04.04.2012
SOURCE: CUMHURIYET ENGLISH
