Türkiye’s new advanced drilling ship, Abdülhamid Han, will launch drilling activities in Yörükler 1 well, 55 km off Gazipaşa district of Antalya province in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Aug. 9.
“Yörükler 1 Well is the first step of our comprehensive work plan in the Eastern Mediterranean. Drilling works are in our own jurisdiction. We do not need to get permission from anyone for this,” Erdoğan said addressing the ceremony for Abdülhamid Han, Türkiye’s fourth drilling vessel, which departed from the southern port in Mersin for its first mission.
The vessel is also the symbol of Türkiye’s new vision in the field of energy, the president said and added that the country has entered a period in which it carries out seismic surveys, drilling activities, and the processes of bringing the discovered resources to the economy, which it could not have done even with money before, with its own means.
Türkiye now has four drilling vessels and two seismic research vessels, he said and added, “In the seas, we have a drilling fleet that is rare in the world.”
The country’s energy cost for 2022 is expected to reach 100 billion U.S. dollars, he said and stressed that the efforts to supply local energy resources would help the country’s economy.
Türkiye, meanwhile, issued NAVTEX for the Abdülhamid Han vessel, valid until Nov.7. and three more ships will accompany the drilling vessel.
Abdülhamid Han is one of five seventh-generation ships in the world, with a maximum drilling depth of 12,200 meters. The vessel is 238 meters long and 42 m wide and weighs 68,000 gross tons.
