The concrete floor of a rig on Türkiye Petrolleri’s Yalçın field has collapsed, leading to the death of a worker and two others being hospitalised.
Engineer Mehmet İrfan Güler was “trapped under the tower debris” which resulted in loss of life, Türkiye Petrolleri (TPAO) shared on its social media platforms.
TPAO also shared that two additional workers were hospitalised following the incident, however, it said there is no threat to their lives.
A “detailed investigation” is now under way, following the appointment of an inspector.
TPAO commented: “We offer our condolences and wish a speedy recovery to our injured workers.”
Images have been shared online of the incident with emergency service vehicles in attendance as debris litters the ground.
Local government official T.C. Şırnak Valiliği, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “AFAD, UMKE, Fire Brigade, TPIC and TPAO expert teams and our Gendarmerie teams immediately arrived at the scene of the incident and started rescue efforts.
“As a result of the work carried out, 2 of the 3 workers trapped under the rubble were rescued with injuries, 1 worker was taken to the hospital by helicopter, and the transfer of the other worker to the hospital was started.”
TPAO said in 2023 that it expects the Yalçın discovery to produce 100,000 barrels per day (bpd), doubling Turkey’s current production.
TPAO drilled an exploration well at the site last year as it outlined plans for the giant project.
It drilled the Sehit Aybuke Yalcin-1 exploration well 20 km northwest of Cizre. It is 7 km northeast of the Sehit Esma Cevik field, which is producing around 10,000 barrels per day.
TPAO drilled the exploration well to a total depth of 2,771 metres and found more than 162 metres of light oil-bearing reservoir, with an API of 41 degrees, in the Cretaceous carbonates.
The firm’s CEO Melih Han Bilgin said at the time: “Developing Sehit Aybuke Yalcin and Sehit Esma Cevik with further discoveries will not only channel capital to stimulate the economy in Simak, but also let TPAO build a state-of-the-art oil refinery to unlock the potential in the region, including the fields in neighbouring countries.”