By Bosphorus News Energy Desk
Türkiye is preparing to move Osman Gazi from Filyos Port to the Sakarya Gas Field after engineers installed the platform's 260-tonne flare tower, one of the last large components required before offshore deployment.
Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Osman Gazi would leave for its operating location at the end of September and enter service during the fourth quarter of 2026. Once fully operational, it is expected to raise daily production at Sakarya from 9.5 million to approximately 20 million cubic metres.
Flare Tower Added at Filyos
The Energy and Natural Resources Ministry announced the installation on August 11. Two cranes, with lifting capacities of 3,500 tonnes and 800 tonnes, were used to place the tower on the platform.
The structure stands 96 metres high, has a base area of approximately 65 square metres and weighs 260 tonnes. During an emergency, it will vent hydrocarbon gases and burn them under controlled conditions, keeping pressure inside the production facility within safe limits.
In March, engineers installed a 2,500-tonne monoethylene glycol module designed to prevent blockages caused by low temperatures and pressure in the subsea system.
Earlier Guidance Pointed to Midyear
The latest dates are later than the timetable previously given by Turkish officials. In December 2025, Bayraktar said Osman Gazi would be ready around June or July 2026, then moved offshore and connected to the subsea production system. Officials later said Sakarya output would double during the third quarter.
The current plan places departure at the end of September and commissioning during the final three months of the year. The ministry did not describe the change as a delay or provide a reason for the revised dates.
After leaving Filyos, Osman Gazi must be positioned at its operating site around 161 kilometres offshore, secured to the seabed and connected to the field's wells and transmission infrastructure. Testing and commissioning will follow before additional gas can enter the national grid.
Output Target Remains 20 Million Cubic Metres
Sakarya currently produces approximately 9.5 million cubic metres of natural gas per day, enough to cover the equivalent annual consumption of more than four million households. Osman Gazi has a maximum processing capacity of 10.5 million cubic metres per day and can transfer up to 10 million cubic metres.
With Phase 2 in operation, Türkiye expects daily production to reach approximately 20 million cubic metres and supply the equivalent consumption of eight million households. A fourth-quarter start will limit the additional volume available during 2026, although the full increase will feed into the 2027 supply balance.
The new domestic output is due to enter the system as BOTAŞ negotiates gas supply contracts with Gazprom beyond 2026.
Bayraktar said a second floating production platform remains scheduled to enter service in 2028. Completion of Phase 3 is expected to raise Sakarya's daily production to 45 million cubic metres and cover the equivalent consumption of approximately 17 million households.
Sources: Türkiye's Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Bosphorus News review and reporting.