The recent natural gas discovery personally announced to the public by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continues to make headlines. Erdoğan revealed that the Abdülhamid Han drilling vessel had uncovered a new 75-billion-cubic-meter reserve at the Göktepe-3 well in the Black Sea, estimating its economic value at $30 billion.
While drilling vessels often take the spotlight in such developments, there are in fact highly valuable subsystems operating behind the scenes to make these achievements possible. One of these is Kaşif, the unmanned underwater robot that has been accompanying the Abdülhamid Han from the very beginning of its journey.
Kaşif bears the signature of Armelsan, a prominent name in Türkiye's defense industry known for its high-impact technological solutions. Having carried out critical missions in various parts of Türkiye's Blue Homeland maritime domain, Kaşif is also expected to make its mark in different regions around the world in the near future.
Armelsan General Manager Can Emre Bakım says that the discovery announced by President Erdoğan is also a source of pride for them. "Because we, too, were part of this process," says Bakım, recalling that Kaşif's journey began in 2020.
He explains that the process, which began with the Fatih drilling vessel, continued over time with the Kanuni and Abdülhamid Han drilling ships. Just as the vessels and drilling locations have changed over time, Kaşif, too, has continuously evolved from its first version to the present, constantly updating and improving itself.
Can Emre Bakım emphasizes that Kaşif played a critical role aboard the Abdülhamid Han drilling vessel in the discovery of the latest natural gas reserve. Before diving into the details of the most recent operation, he outlines a broader perspective on Kaşif and its capabilities.
Bakım describes Kaşif as "one of the unsung heroes working behind the scenes." He explains that the device is essentially a "drilling robot," saying, "This robot functions like an underwater worker. Based on instructions from the drilling vessel, it performs tasks such as cutting, shaping, replacing seals at the wellhead, and cleaning when necessary. If something goes wrong below, Kaşif is also responsible for the highly critical task of rapidly sealing off the well." According to Bakım, just as a worker meticulously builds a construction with tools in hand, like an intricate piece of lacework, Kaşif is capable of performing similarly precise tasks at depths of up to 3,000 meters.
In such tasks, as the geography changes, the requirements also vary accordingly. For example, the Black Sea contains extremely dense gases, while the Mediterranean has a much higher salt content. Therefore, you need to create a product that can function like a precision machine in different regions. At this point, Armelsan General Manager Can Emre Bakım highlights an interesting point. He notes that since they developed Kaşif in-house, they are able to quickly produce the most suitable solution according to the demands of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. He points out that if the product had been sourced from abroad, such flexibility would not have been possible.
Bakım mentions that they have developed "tailored" solutions for the unmanned underwater robot and concludes his remarks as follows: "Since 2020, Kaşif has been a project that has continuously evolved and improved. Now, we are working with the Kaşif XL model. Unlike the earlier versions, it has a higher number of motors and more advanced hydraulic capabilities. So far, we have worked at depths of around 3,000 meters. However, as you know, Türkiye is also actively pursuing a very dynamic path in the energy sector. Our Oruç Reis vessel, which can conduct seismic surveys, carried out important work off the coast of Somalia. If drilling steps are taken there in the future, we want to be ready. In this regard, we have already started working on producing a new Kaşif unmanned underwater robot that can descend to depths of around 4,000 meters. These advanced robots aren't just used in the natural gas or oil sectors. They are also deployed in very diverse fields, starting with offshore wind turbines, and their global market share is steadily increasing. We are working on potential export options, particularly in Azerbaijan and the Caspian region. Gulf countries have shown significant interest as well. We aim to share news about new export developments with the public soon."
