Newsletters
Türkiye’s state-owned oil and gas exploration and production company, the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO), is preparing to sign a new contract to operate two oil fields in Kazakhstan, the company’s chief executive said Thursday during Kazakhstan Energy Week 2025 in Astana.
Ahmet Turkoglu, CEO of TPAO, stated that Kazakhstan holds a special position in the global oil and natural gas sector and underlined that the company is expanding its overseas partnerships. He noted that TPAO had recently signed a cooperation agreement with KazMunayGaz, Kazakhstan’s national oil company, and is already exploring new sites under this framework.
Turkoglu explained that the two oil fields under discussion will form part of TPAO’s growing overseas portfolio. “We are here to further our cooperation in this area and to make new agreements. We are preparing to sign a new contract for two fields in Kazakhstan,” he said.
The CEO also emphasized Kazakhstan’s increasing use of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Oil Pipeline, which transports Caspian crude through Azerbaijan and Georgia to Türkiye’s Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. He noted that this route would play a vital role for TPAO once it expands its activities in Kazakhstan.
The BTC pipeline, operational since 2006, is one of the main export corridors for Caspian oil. For Türkiye, it not only provides access to secure energy supplies but also enhances the country’s role as a regional energy hub linking producers in Central Asia with global markets.
TPAO’s entry into new fields in Kazakhstan is expected to further integrate with this export system.
Founded in 1954, TPAO manages both domestic and international energy operations of Türkiye, particularly focusing on exploration. While historically focused on Türkiye, TPAO has expanded abroad in recent decades with projects in Iraq, Azerbaijan, Russia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Somalia. Its overseas activities cover exploration, production, and the development of strategic reserves, often in partnership with national oil companies.
In Somalia, TPAO holds rights to explore both onshore and offshore blocks, conducting seismic surveys and preparing for drilling. In the Eastern Mediterranean, the company pursues offshore exploration within Turkish waters and has agreements for seismic studies with Libya’s National Oil Corporation.
Domestically, TPAO carries out major exploration programs in the Black Sea and Mediterranean, where recent natural gas discoveries have become central to Türkiye’s energy strategy.
1 min read
6 min read
