Turkey has widened is geologic dragnet and its newly active oil champion has hired survey outfit Wavefield in the hopes of finding oil and gas while prices still sustain the development of costlier fields.

The National Oil Company of Turkey, or TPAO, has awarded Norway-based Wavefield Inseis a major 3D project offshore offshore in the Black Sea.

Recent successes, including offshore Bulgaria, have compelled TPAO to hire Wavefield a third time. This time a 3,000-square-kilometres 3D survey will add to the supplier’s Turkish orderbook, as the country at the confluence of Europe, Asia and the Middle East turns into a hot oil and gas play.

Ever since UK-based JKX Oil & Gas in January 2008 took up a stake in two exploration licences in southeast Turkey near the northern Iraqi border, the country has come alive with exploration.

Turkish E&P outfit Arar Petrol Ve Gaz Aup let JKX farm in near the large Bati Raman oilfield near permits run by Aladdin Middle East Inc.

Transatlantic Petroleum, Zeta Petroleum, Otto Energy and Tethys are the newest players onshore and offshore Turkey.

Tags: Wavefield InSeis ASA