Türkiye is set to double its domestic natural gas production from the Sakarya Gas Field in the Black Sea to 20 million cubic meters per day with the deployment of its first floating production platform, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources said Thursday.

The Osman Gazi floating production platform will depart from Filyos Port in the northern province of Zonguldak on October 17 and is scheduled to begin production in early 2027, according to the ministry, The Caspian Post reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

The platform will operate around the clock for 20 years at a location approximately 170 kilometers (106 miles) offshore. It will process natural gas before delivering it to Türkiye’s national grid.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the platform would double the number of households supplied with domestically produced natural gas, from 4 million to 8 million.

“We take pride in bringing historic significance to our goal of full energy independence in the Century of Türkiye with this giant project, which will contribute $3.5 billion annually to our national economy,” Bayraktar was quoted as saying in the statement.

According to the ministry, the platform is expected to generate an economic contribution equivalent to around $10 million per day at current natural gas prices.

First unveiled by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July 2024, Osman Gazi measures 298.5 meters (979 feet) in length, 56 meters in width and 29.5 meters in depth.

The platform was transported from Istanbul to Filyos in May 2025 for modifications, certification and preparations for its mission in the Black Sea.

Its upper structure houses 21 facilities. Of these, 11 were rebuilt to meet the technical requirements of the Sakarya Gas Field, with seven manufactured in Türkiye and four abroad. The remaining 10 facilities were modified and integrated into the platform.

Approximately 7,000 people participated in the maintenance and preparation work, which included installing 642 kilometers of electrical cables and around 30 kilometers of piping.

In August, a 96-meter-high flare tower weighing 260 metric tons was installed to safely dispose of hydrocarbon gases released during emergency operations.

With accommodation capacity for 140 personnel, Osman Gazi will serve as an offshore production facility, processing gas extracted from the Sakarya field before transferring it to the national grid.

The platform is expected to increase daily output from the field’s current level of 9.5 million cubic meters to 20 million cubic meters, completing the second phase of development at the Sakarya Gas Field.

The ministry said the first gas is expected to be flared by the end of this year, ahead of the planned start of production in early 2027.