Turkey’s state gas company BOTAS has locked in 15 billion cubic metres of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through new contracts with eight global suppliers, in a concerted effort to expand its energy portfolio and curb dependence on pipelines from Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran.
Announced at the Gastech 2025 conference in Milan, the agreements cover deliveries through 2028 and involve heavyweights including Cheniere, SEFE, Equinor, JERA, BP, ENI, Shell, and Hartree.
Reuters reported that BOTAS sealed a one-year, 1.2 bcm deal with U.S. exporter Cheniere and a two-year, 600 million cubic metre deal with London-based Hartree. Turkish daily DUNYA added further detail, citing contracts with Germany’s SEFE (1.8 bcm over three years), Norway’s Equinor (1.5 bcm over three years), and Japan’s JERA (0.6 bcm for one year). The remaining supply will be split among BP, ENI, and Shell, bringing the total to roughly 15 bcm.
Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the deals reflect Ankara’s strategy to build a “multi-source, flexible, and market-oriented” gas market. He stressed that Turkey’s LNG terminals and floating storage regasification units are now positioned to handle greater import volumes as demand rises in both industrial and power sectors. Deliveries are scheduled to begin this winter, with volumes extending into 2028.
The scale of procurement of this scope and scale is a direct response to the vulnerability of piped gas supplies. Ankara has been gradually layering LNG into its portfolio to reduce exposure to Russian flows, which still account for over 40% of imports. By adding U.S., European, and Asian suppliers, BOTAS aims to leverage global spot and term markets for price stability and energy security.
Industry officials noted that securing long-term volumes during Gastech gives buyers like Turkey leverage against market swings, with contracted LNG functioning as a hedge at a time of unpredictable demand growth across Europe and Asia.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
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