Abdülhamid Han drilling ship completes one year in Black Sea

ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s state-of-the-art drilling vessel, Abdülhamid Han, has completed its first year of operations in the Black Sea, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to accelerate hydrocarbon exploration and production.

According to a statement from the Energy Ministry, Abdülhamid Han —Türkiye’s fourth drilling ship — was added to the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) fleet in 2022.

Classified as a seventh-generation deep-sea drilling vessel, the ship measures 238 meters in length and 42 meters in width, with the capability to operate at depths of 3,650 meters and drill up to 12,120 meters.

The vessel’s first mission was in the Mediterranean, and it was subsequently deployed to the Black Sea.

Over the past year, Abdülhamid Han has completed drilling at several sites in the Black Sea, including Türkali-19, Türkali-23, Türkali-27, Türkali-28 and Göktepe-3, and continues its operations in the region.

During its Black Sea mission, the vessel achieved a major natural gas discovery. Beginning work at the Göktepe-3 well on March 27, 2025, Abdülhamid Han uncovered 75 billion cubic meters of natural gas on May 17, 2025. Officials noted that this volume could meet the natural gas needs of Turkish households for approximately three and a half years, with an estimated economic value of $30 billion.

With the addition of two new vessels, Türkiye has expanded its drilling fleet to six ships, positioning itself as the country with the fourth-largest energy fleet in the world. The fleet includes Fatih, Yavuz, Kanuni and Abdülhamid Han, all currently operating in the Sakarya Gas Field in the Black Sea. The newly added fifth and sixth vessels are expected to be deployed in future operations, one in the Black Sea and the other in the Mediterranean.