Türkiye’s top drilling ship embarks on Mediterranean mission

Türkiye’s state energy company on Friday announced the country’s latest and most advanced drilling ship was being deployed for a new exploration mission in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“Abdülhamid Han, the strongest member of our energy fleet, is at Akseki-1. Abdülhamid Han Drilling Ship is starting drilling at Akseki-1 well, its new target in the Mediterranean,” the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as X.

The announcement also underscored the relentless dedication to natural gas exploration activities in the region, dubbed “Blue Homeland.”

The drillship stands as the preeminent addition to Türkiye’s energy fleet in recent years, having previously executed successful drilling campaigns at the Yörükler-1 and Taşucu-1 wells in the Mediterranean.

The ship is one of five seventh-generation ships in the world and has the latest technology. It can operate at a maximum depth of 3,665 meters (12,024 feet).

The vessel is 238 meters long and 42 meters wide and weighs 68,000 gross tons with a maximum drilling depth of 12,200 meters. It has a tower height of 104 meters and a crew capacity of 200.

Türkiye has been conducting drilling activities in its waters for the past four years.