Turkey’s state energy company is in talks with Chevron for joint hydrocarbon exploration, according to a Turkish official cited by Bloomberg.

Turkey Petroleum Corp (TPAO) is said to be in talks with Chevron to collaborate on seismic studies and drilling, the same source said, requesting anonymity due to the private nature of the contacts.

The potential deal is part of Ankara’s latest moves to boost energy production and comes at a time of broader improvement in US-Turkey relations. It follows a January agreement between Turkey and Exxon Mobil for joint exploration in the Black Sea and Mediterranean.

Turkey’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources did not respond to a request for comment, while TPAO was not immediately available for comment.

“Chevron has a diverse global exploration and production portfolio and continues to evaluate potential opportunities,” a company spokesman told Bloomberg, adding that “as part of policy ours, we do not comment on commercial matters”.

It is not yet clear which projects a potential partnership could focus on. TPAO is already active in the Black Sea, Iraq, Russia and Somalia, and has previously drilled in the eastern Mediterranean. In the same area, Chevron operates fields in Israeli and Cypriot waters.

In recent years, Ankara has tried to reduce its almost total dependence on imported oil and gas by increasing domestic production and expanding TPAO operations abroad. The company has strengthened its fleet of specialist offshore exploration vessels and recently announced plans to raise up to four billion dollars through its first Islamic debt issue. /tesheshi.com/

Source: prizrenpost