Turkey’s national oil company has made a billion-barrel oil discovery, the country’s largest ever onshore hydrocarbon find, with an exploration well drilled close to the border with Syria.

The new field could produce 100,000 barrels per day, according to state-owned Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) which has been on a major exploration drive in recent years in order to become less reliant on oil and gas imports.

Until now, major drilling successes to date have centred on the discovery of huge gas resources in the Black Sea.