Turkey’s state-owned Botas has signed a 20-year LNG agreement with Swiss commodity trading firm Mercuria, securing an annual supply of some 4 bn cubic meters (bcm) starting in 2026, according to a press release. The fuel will be sourced from the US and shipped to regasification facilities in Turkey, Europe, and North Africa, mostly during winter.

More LNG is coming: Botas has also signed an LNG heads of agreement with Australian energy player Woodside Energy for roughly 5.8 bcm natgas-equivalent of LNG for up to nine years starting from 2030, according to a press release (pdf). The fuel will be primarily sourced from Woodside’s Louisiana LNG project.

THE CONTEXT- Turkey is letting LNG contracts for some 16 bcm from Russia — its largest supplier — expire this year, amid rising US pressure on trading partners to sever energy ties with the country over its war in Ukraine. The agreements also come ahead of a high-level meeting happening today between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump.

REFRESHER- Turkey is embracing its role as a re-exporter to Europe — since it consumes less gas than its total capacity allows — and earlier this month signed a slew of LNG and pipeline agreements. The agreements included LNG supply pacts for at least 15 bcm cumulatively with energy giant Shell, Securing Energy for Europe, Norway’s Equinor, US-based Cherniere, Italian energy player Eni, and many others — alongside a pipeline agreement with Italian engineering group Saipem.

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