Turkey intends to cooperate with Egypt in searching for natural gas in the Mediterranean, given the latter’s experience in deep-water drilling, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız says on an official visit to Egypt.

Egypt and Turkey may partner up to explore for oil and gas in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız said during an official visit to Cairo on Wednesday.

“Egypt and Turkey can work together on the fields of oil and [natural] gas, we evaluated this issue and need some more time [for further steps]. We can search together in the Mediterranean,” said Yıldız, not giving details on the project while speaking to journalists.

The minister also emphasized Egypt’s experience in deep-water drilling.

The minister, who is currently in Egypt accompanying Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said he had met with Egypt’s ministers for oil and electricity during his visit, which he said had been “extremely fruitful.” He also said Turkey signed two memoranda with Egypt on energy cooperation. “One of them is about joint projects in third countries, the other regards electricity.”

Turkey is working on a master plan for electricity-interconnection in the southern and eastern Mediterranean countries including Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Algeria, said Yıldız. “Thus, an interconnecting system will be available for the southern Mediterranean region, as it is for the north,” he added.

“We import natural gas from five countries and oil from 11. Egypt can be the sixth country that exports natural gas to Turkey,” the minister said, adding that Egypt produces about twice the amount of energy Turkey consumes.

Moreover, Yıldız also said he expected the 1,200-kilometer Arab Natural Gas Pipeline to be completed by the end of this year, adding that the pipeline would have two routes. One pipeline flows from Azerbaijan to Syria, Lebanon and Jordan via Turkey and the second from Egypt to Turkey, he added.

Turkey will also demand for six wells in Libya to be enlarged and for deadlines to be extended, according to a Reuters report on Wednesday.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News