Turkey’s Turkish Petroleum Corporation has signed a contract with Wison New Energies to build a floating production unit (FPU) for Phase 3 of the Sakarya Gas Field, the country’s largest-ever natural gas discovery.
The Sakarya field, located 170 kilometers offshore in the Black Sea, was discovered in August 2020 and holds an estimated 405 billion cubic meters of gas reserves. The new FPU, designed to withstand deepwater operations at depths of over 2,150 meters and navigate the Bosphorus Strait’s tight 56-meter air draft restriction, will be a centerpiece of the third phase of development.
“This collaboration represents a major milestone in Wison’s internationalization strategy and another significant breakthrough in our deepwater engineering capabilities,” said Liu Hongjun, Chairman of Wison New Energies.
Floating production units like the one Wison will deliver are part of a broader category of offshore energy infrastructure that includes FLNG (floating liquefied natural gas) and FPSO (floating production storage and offloading) systems. These floating production systems are transforming how the world accesses energy. Instead of relying on vast onshore terminals, these offshore units act as self-contained processing plants — capable of extracting, refining, and offloading resources directly at sea. For instance, in simple terms, an FLNG works like a floating LNG plant: it takes gas from the seabed, cools it into liquid form and loads it onto carriers for transport.
Compared to traditional onshore terminals, floating solutions offer several advantages. They require less land, reduce environmental impact and provide flexibility in deployment, especially in remote or deepwater locations. These benefits are particularly relevant for Turkey, which seeks to reduce its reliance on imported gas and bolster domestic supply.
However, floating energy projects are not without challenges. Operating in harsh marine environments demands robust engineering to ensure stability and precision. The global supply chain integration required to build an FLNG or FPU is staggering — thousands of companies across multiple countries must align on standards and practices. A single FLNG unit can cost several billion dollars. As such, although the concept dates back to the 1970s, the first FLNG was not delivered until 2016.
Wison New Energies has emerged as a global leader in this complex field. Despite early market hesitancy and high R&D costs, the company persisted. Today, it is the only firm worldwide to have independently executed and delivered an FLNG project as a full EPCIC (engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning) contractor. Its proprietary modular construction techniques allow for faster project timelines and safer, more efficient assembly.
Wison’s global footprint includes fabrication yards in China and offices in Houston, London and Singapore. Recent agreements with Siemens Energy, Bureau Veritas, and SUPCON Technology focus on integrating AI-driven, low-emission, and smart monitoring solutions into future FLNG and FPSO projects — enhancing operational efficiency and sustainability. In addition, the collaboration with Norway’s H2Carrier aims to develop a 500 MW green ammonia FPSO, a milestone that underscores Wison’s growing role in the global energy transition. Wison is well-positioned to deliver advanced floating energy solutions for partners worldwide.
The Sakarya Phase 3 project itself represents another step forward in this journey. It will boast a gas export rate of 25 million standard cubic meters per day, a produced water treatment capacity of 1,350 cubic meters per day and a MEG regeneration and injection capacity of 2,503 cubic meters per day for hydrate inhibition.
“Wison’s expertise and delivery experience in floating facilities are highly aligned with our project requirements,” said TPAO CEO Ahmet Türkoğlu. “We look forward to working closely together to ensure the successful delivery of the project.”
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