Turkey’s first drillship, Fatih, began drilling in the Türkali-7 location in the Black Sea on Dec. 24, according to Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez.

"Each new drilling brings us closer to the goal of heating Anatolia with Black Sea gas in 2023," Dönmez said in a tweet.

Turkey’s 405 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas find in the Sakarya field was made last year by Fatih. In June, a second discovery of 135 bcm was made, bringing the cumulative gas discovery to 540 bcm.

Previously, Fatih conducted drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Turkish drillships Yavuz and Kanuni, along with seismic vessels Oruç Reis and Barbaros Hayrettin Pa?a, are following drilling plans in areas off Turkey’s southern coast and Cyprus.