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.

However, just weeks ahead of a general election which President Recep Erdogan is in danger of losing, TPAO announced yesterday that the Aybuke Yalcın-1 probe found 1 billion barrels of oil in place at a location some 20 kilometres northwest of Cizre city.

Drilled in a proven oil play about seven kilometres southeast of the Sehit Esma Cevik find.

Toegther the two fields could produce about 100,000 bpd, doubling Turkey’s current oil production.

The Aybuke Yalcın-1 probe hit a 162-metre thick pay zone holding 41 degree API oil in a Cretaceous carbonate reservoir at a depth of 2609-2771 metres.

TPAO said this discovery opens up a new play in the region and “will help achieve Turkey’s target of energy independence.”

The corporation’s chairman Melih Han Bilgin said the discovery well is currently producing 10,000 bpd, adding that further exploration wells will be drilled in the area over the remainder of 2023.

He said the new project will help develop the economy of the Sırnak region, with TPAO planning to pipe oil to a new refinery.