Turkish Oil & Gas Exploration Update & Discussion

[Test7]

US Department of State;
The United States is deeply concerned by Turkey’s announced intentions to begin offshore drilling operations in an area claimed by the Republic of Cyprus as its Exclusive Economic Zone. This step is highly provocative and risks raising tensions in the region. We urge Turkish authorities to halt these operations and encourage all parties to act with restraint.

https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2019/05/291497.htm

In the meantime, the Fatih drill vessel began to be drilling in the west of Cyprus And the Barbaros seismic vessel continues to scan different plots.

 

[Test7]

US Department of State;
The United States is deeply concerned by Turkey’s announced intentions to begin offshore drilling operations in an area claimed by the Republic of Cyprus as its Exclusive Economic Zone. This step is highly provocative and risks raising tensions in the region. We urge Turkish authorities to halt these operations and encourage all parties to act with restraint.

https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2019/05/291497.htm

6 May 2019, Press Release Regarding the Press Statement of the US Department of State, Dated 5 May 2019

The press statement of the US Department of State dated 5 May 2019 concerning Turkey’s drilling activities in its own continental shelf is unrealistic.

Turkey has made its position explicitly clear regarding its continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean since 2004.

Since then, we have brought to the attention of the relevant countries and the international community that the Greek Cypriot Administration’s EEZ delimitation agreements with the countries in the region are not valid for Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots and one of these agreements violates Turkey’s continental shelf rights. Similarly, Turkey has announced to the international community and registered with the UN its continental shelf in the region. Delimitation agreements based on equitable principles in accordance with the international law have not yet been concluded among all relevant coastal states in the region.

Therefore, the attempts of the third parties to act as an international court in determining maritime boundaries is unacceptable. In this context, the statement of the US calling Turkey by expressing that “there exists Greek Cypriot claims over the area” is neither constructive nor compatible with international law, given the fact that there is no valid maritime delimitation agreement in the region.

Our drilling and seismic vessels will resolutely continue their activities in our continental shelf in the areas where our Government granted the Turkish Petroleum licenses in 2009 and 2012.

Likewise, unless the Greek Cypriots include the Turkish Cypriots, as the equal partners of the Island, into the decision making mechanisms regarding hydrocarbon resources or cease their unilateral hydrocarbon activities, Turkey will continue to protect the continental shelf rights of the Turkish Cypriots as well.

http://www.mfa.gov.tr/no_128_-abd-disisleri-bakanligi-nin-5-mayis-tarihli-aciklamasi-hk.en.mfa

 

[UzaySan]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1126013884442206208

 

[Test7]

East-Med Briefing official slides / Diplomatic Missions meeting in Ankara.

http://www.mfa.gov.tr/site_media/html/maritime-delimitation-10-5-2019-presentation.pdf

http://www.mfa.gov.tr/site_media/html/maritime-delimitation-10-5-2019-brief-note.pdf

 

[Test7]

MTA Oruc Reis seismic vessel is researching on the Marmara Sea.

 

[Test7]

Turkish Petroleum TPAO’s second ultra deepwater drillship Deepsea Metro I (soon to be renamed Yavuz) getting new paint at Beldeport. Later the vessel will undergo maintenance & renovation work at Altınova.

https://twitter.com/YorukIsik

 

[Test7]

The second drilling ship(Yavuz) will move to the Mediterranean Sea today.

 

[CAN_TR]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1144950808003457025

 

[monitor]

Fatih sondaj gemimiz ile ona koruma saglayan TSK unsurlarinin faaliyetleri sadece GKRY ve Yunanistan tarafindan izlenmiyor. Israil merkezli ImageSat Intl (ISI) uydularinca rutin bir sekilde takip edilen gemilerimizin pozisyonu sosyal medya uzerinden tum dunyaya da aciklaniyor.

 

[Oublious]

 

[revojam]

 

[CAN_TR]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1153593738721157121

 

[Test7]

Turkey's second drillship(Yavuz) has started prospecting for oil and gas off the coast of the island of Cyprus. The Yavuz has been in the region since last month. Turkey's energy minister, and the Turkish Cypriot prime minister, have visited the vessel.

 

[Test7]

Turkey's seismic exploration vessel Oruc Reis set sail last Friday toward the Eastern Mediterranean to further contribute to the exploration activities being conducted in the region. MTA Oruc Reis had previously been conducting seismic surveys in the Black Sea and Marmara since August 2017.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1167362624687890432

 

[TheMightyBender]

Seems like Turkey’s aggressive stance is bearing fruit:

Greek Cyprus offers 30 pct of gas income to Turkish Cyprus
Ömer Bilge – NICOSIA

Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiadeshas made an unofficial offer to Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı to give a share of the natural resources in the east Mediterranean, Greek media has reported.

Anastasiades initially made a verbal offer to Akıncı on Aug. 9 to give a share of 30 percent from the energy fund to be established in 2022. In return, Turkey and Turkish Cypriots would compromise with Greek Cyprus on the exclusive economic zones, according to the offer.

In the following days after their meeting, Anastasiades conveyed the offer in a non-paper document.

However, Akıncı rejected the offer, saying that the Turkish side would not be given a place in the management of the drilling activities and energy policies around the island.

The two leaders are expected to meet again this month.

Turkey has consistently contested the Greek Cypriot administration’s unilateral drilling in the eastern Mediterranean, asserting that Turkish Cyprus has similar rights on the resources in the area.

Greek Cyprus recently rejected a Turkish Cypriot proposal for cooperation on the joint exploration and profit-sharing of hydrocarbon resources.

Ankara, meanwhile, has sent two drilling ships to search for gas in the waters off the divided island, prompting accusations from Greek Cyprus, Greece and the EU that it is undermining security in the region.