Türkiye's newest drilling ship arrives in Mersin for Med Sea operations

ISTANBUL

Türkiye's new ultra-deepwater drilling ship docked in the country’s southern province of Mersin ahead of operations in the Mediterranean, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has announced.

The first of two new drilling ships in Türkiye's fleet has arrived at Taşucu port, Bayraktar said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

He said the seventh-generation ship, capable of drilling up to 12,000 meters, 39,370 feet, will be deployed in Türkiye's Mediterranean operations.

"Our second drilling ship will also arrive in Türkiye by the end of the year," Bayraktar said. "This will make Türkiye the country with the world's fourth-largest deep-sea drilling fleet."

He said that this key development indicates progress toward achieving complete energy independence.

Built in South Korea in 2024, the ship measures 228 meters in length and 42 meters in width, equipped with a helipad and accommodations for 200 crew members.

Türkiye's fleet already includes the drill ships Fatih, Yavuz, Kanuni and Abdulhamid Han, which are operating in the Black Sea's Sakarya gas field.

The Oruc Reis seismic vessel recently returned from its first intercontinental mission in Somalia and is preparing for a new assignment in Filyos Port in Türkiye's Black Sea province of Zonguldak, while the Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa seismic vessel is also active in the Black Sea.

The fleet also includes 11 support vessels, a construction vessel and a floating production platform.