Turkish vessel preparing to start drilling in Black Sea

ISTANBUL

Turkey's Kanuni drillship will start drilling work in the Black Sea, said the country's energy and natural resources minister on Sunday.

"The countdown has begun. Our fleet, the symbol of our energy independence in our seas, will become stronger with its new member," Fatih Donmez sai on Twitter.

He said Kanuni, whose preparations are continuing, will start drilling in the Black Sea.

Kanuni drillship is Turkey's 3rd drilling ship.

Last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the country's drillship Fatih found some 320 billion cubic meters (11.3 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas in the Black Sea.