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Türkiye will sign a new oil and gas exploration agreement with Pakistan next week while maintaining Russia as one of its primary natural gas suppliers, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Wednesday.
Bayraktar said he will travel to Pakistan next week to finalize the agreement.
“We will sign our agreement regarding the first deep-sea drilling in Pakistan, related to offshore fields. We are starting joint work in two onshore fields and one offshore field,” he told broadcaster Lider Haber.
The signing ceremony is set for Tuesday.
A consortium that includes the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) won offshore exploration rights in Pakistan last month.
Addressing Türkiye’s natural gas supply outlook, Bayraktar said around half of the country’s gas needs can now be met through liquefied natural gas (LNG), with the rest covered by pipeline imports, including from Russia.
“Russian gas will continue to be an important source of imports for Türkiye,” he said.
“There is nothing to be concerned about in this regard. Our relationship with Russia, particularly in the energy field, continues in a very positive way.”
Bayraktar did not specify future import volumes.
Türkiye’s long-term natural gas contract with Russia expires at the end of this year.
While imports are expected to continue, it remains uncertain whether future volumes will match or fall below current levels.
3 min read
