Sakarya Phase-3 FPU moves to keel laying stage

A new phase has been reached in the Sakarya Gas Field Phase-3 Floating Production Unit (FPU), being built for Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortaklığı (TPAO) by Chinese contractor Wison New Energies at the Nantong Shipyard.

A keel laying ceremony for the FPU was held at the shipyard.

Set to operate in the third phase of the Black Sea gas field, the FPU will integrate natural gas processing, boosting, and export functions into a single system. Designed with a daily export capacity of 25 million standard cubic meters of gas, the massive facility is engineered to withstand ultra-deepwater conditions reaching up to 2,150 meters, with a targeted service life of 30 years.

Discovered in 2020 and estimated to hold more than 400 billion cubic meters of gas reserves, the Sakarya Field plays a key role in Türkiye’s long-term energy independence strategy.

273 meters in length, 54 meters in beam

Featuring a ship shape much like the Osman Gazi Floating Production Unit, the new platform will measure 273 meters in length, 54 meters in beam, and 26 meters in depth. Positioned approximately 180 kilometers offshore in waters nearly 2,200 meters deep, the platform will be permanently anchored to the seabed using a 20-line mooring system divided into four groups. It will also offer living quarters for up to 150 personnel onboard.

Gas to be fed directly into national grid

The platform will process raw natural gas produced directly at the wellheads, carrying out well control, water separation, dehydration, compression, metering, and related operations. Following processing, the natural gas will be transported ashore via a subsea pipeline and fed directly into the national transmission grid.

Daily production capacity of 25 million cubic meters

The platform will feature a daily gas production capacity of 25 million cubic meters. In the initial stage, a total of 20 million cubic meters of natural gas is planned to be produced daily from 27 deepwater wells.

Minister Bayraktar: Production will reach 40 million cubic meters

In earlier statements regarding the project, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar noted that the new floating production unit will boost daily natural gas production in the Black Sea to 40 million cubic meters.

Recalling that daily gas production from the Sakarya Gas Field in the Black Sea currently stands at 9.5 million cubic meters—and is expected to reach 20 million cubic meters per day with the *Osman Gazi* Floating Production Unit, set to begin operations in mid-2026—Minister Bayraktar stated: “Our Osman Gazi Floating Production Unit will get a sister vessel. We expect our new platform, currently under construction in China, to set sail for Türkiye at the end of 2027.

“Planned for commissioning in mid-2028, the new production platform will operate in the Black Sea and bolster our production capabilities. By transitioning us to Phase-3, this new platform will quadruple our output in the Sakarya Gas Field compared to today, elevating daily production to 40 million cubic meters.”