Turkey prepares to explore for oil and gas in Syria
Turkey is moving to enter Syria's oil and gas fields. Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said state firm TPAO and Turkish private companies are ready to begin work.
RastinewsTurkey is preparing to move into Syria's oil and natural gas fields. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and Turkish private-sector companies are ready to carry out seismic surveys and drilling in Syria, both onshore and offshore.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Damascus with Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir, Bayraktar said energy cooperation between the two countries would expand into new areas.
According to Reuters, Bayraktar said that alongside TPAO, private companies could also take part in oil and gas exploration in Syria. The plan covers onshore fields as well as seismic surveys and exploratory drilling off the Syrian coast.
Turkey is currently carrying out deep-sea drilling off Somalia. TPAO has also secured an exploration license for oil fields off the coast of Libya.
Electricity capacity to exceed 800 megawatts
Electricity forms another pillar of cooperation between Ankara and Damascus. Bayraktar said new infrastructure would come online in the coming weeks, tripling Turkey's electricity transmission capacity to Syria to more than 800 megawatts.
Groundwork laid for phosphate partnership
During Bayraktar's visit to Damascus, an agreement was also reached in the mining sector.
Turkey's state-owned MTA IC and Syria's General Directorate of Mineral Resources signed a non-binding agreement on phosphate resources. The agreement is expected to be developed into a joint venture at a later stage.
Energy cooperation between Ankara and Damascus is thus expanding beyond the electricity line into oil, natural gas and phosphate fields.
Source: Reuters