The Abdulhamid Han Drilling Ship, which has 7th generation technology and was added to the energy fleet to accelerate Turkey’s hydrocarbon exploration and production activities in the seas, has completed one year in its mission in the Black Sea. The ship, which discovered a 75 billion cubic meter natural gas reserve in the Göktepe-3 well in May, is currently continuing its work in the Black Sea.
Drilling capability at 12 thousand meters
The Abdulhamid Han Drilling Ship, Turkey’s fourth drilling ship, was included in the Turkey Petrolleri (TPAO) inventory in 2022. The ‘Abdulhamid Han’, which is in the 7th generation deep-sea drilling ship class, has the capacity to operate at a water depth of 3,650 meters and a maximum drilling depth of 12,120 meters. The ship, which draws attention with its technical features and equipment, is 238 meters long and 42 meters wide.
The Abdulhamid Han, whose first duty station was the Mediterranean Sea, performed its first drilling in this region in the Yörükler-1 well on August 10, 2022. The ship also carried out drilling activities in the Taşucu-1 and Akseki-1 wells in the Mediterranean Sea.
It performed 6 drillings in the Black Sea
The ship, which later moved to the Black Sea to support the work in the region, performed its first drilling in the Black Sea in the Amasra-4 well on November 9, 2024. Over the past year, the Abdulhamid Han completed drilling activities in the Amasra-4 well as well as in the Türkali-19, Türkali-23, Türkali-27, Türkali-28, and Göktepe-3 wells in the Black Sea. The Abdulhamid Han is currently continuing its drilling work in the Black Sea.
It made a new natural gas discovery of 75 billion cubic meters
The Abdulhamid Han also made a significant natural gas discovery during its one-year mission in the Black Sea. The Abdulhamid Han, which started work in the Göktepe-3 well on March 27 this year, made a new natural gas discovery of 75 billion cubic meters in the Göktepe-3 well on May 17, 2025. It is calculated that this amount can meet the natural gas needs of households in Turkey for approximately 3.5 years, and the economic value of this natural gas discovery is 30 billion dollars.
Turkey has become the country with the 4th largest energy fleet in the world
Turkey, which has increased the number of its drilling ships to 6 with two new ships added to its inventory, has become the country with the 4th largest energy fleet in the world. The Fatih, Yavuz, Kanuni, and Abdulhamid Han deep-sea drilling ships in the energy fleet are currently on duty in the Sakarya Gas Field in the Black Sea. It is planned that one of the newly added 5th and 6th drilling ships to the national energy fleet will be used in operations in the Black Sea and the other in the Mediterranean Sea. While the Oruç Reis Seismic Research Ship is preparing for its new mission in Filyos, the Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa Seismic Research Ship is also being used in the Black Sea. In addition to deep-sea drilling and seismic research ships, Turkey’s energy fleet includes 11 support vessels, one construction ship, and one floating production platform.
