Saipem Awarded Commissioning Contract for Türkiye's Osman Gazi FPU
FPU Osman Gazi; Source: Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Saipem has been awarded a contract by GOE Petrol Sanayi to provide commissioning services for the Osman Gazi Floating Production Unit (FPU), a key asset in the development of Türkiye's Sakarya gas field in the Black Sea. The award follows an earlier contract for Operation Readiness & Assurance support services and further strengthens Saipem's involvement in one of the most strategically important energy projects currently underway in the region.
Located approximately 170 km offshore in water depths of around 2,150 meters, the Sakarya field represents Türkiye's largest natural gas discovery and a cornerstone of the country's strategy to increase domestic gas production and improve energy security.
According to Turkish Petroleum Offshore Technology Center, the Osman Gazi FPU is capable of processing up to 10.5 million cubic meters of natural gas per day and is expected to play a major role in increasing Black Sea production capacity. The unit provides offshore gas processing before export to shore through subsea infrastructure connected to the Sakarya development.
While engineering and construction typically receive most of the attention during a project's execution phase, commissioning is often where project success is truly determined.
For floating production facilities, commissioning is the process that transforms a completed asset into an operating production plant. It involves the verification and testing of thousands of instruments, electrical systems, control loops, safety functions, rotating equipment packages and process systems before hydrocarbons are introduced.
The complexity of modern gas-processing facilities has increased significantly over the past decade. Digital control systems, integrated safety systems, turbomachinery packages and advanced gas treatment processes require a highly structured commissioning approach to achieve safe startup and stable production.
As a result, operators increasingly rely on specialist commissioning organizations with extensive startup experience.
One notable aspect of the announcement is that Saipem's commissioning contract follows an earlier award for Operation Readiness & Assurance services.
Across the offshore industry, operators have become increasingly focused on ensuring that operational teams, maintenance systems, spare-parts strategies and management procedures are fully prepared before first gas.
Historically, many projects concentrated heavily on construction completion, only to discover during startup that operating procedures, training programs or maintenance systems were not sufficiently mature.
Today, successful projects typically integrate operational readiness activities months, and sometimes years, before startup. The Sakarya development appears consistent with this industry trend.
For the Sakarya project, the decision to engage a contractor with extensive commissioning experience demonstrates the importance that the operator places on achieving a safe and efficient transition from construction to operations.
Looking Ahead
The Osman Gazi FPU represents only one step in the long-term development of the Sakarya field. Future expansion phases are already progressing, including the award of an EPCIC contract for an additional floating production unit that will further increase the field's production capacity.
As Türkiye continues to develop its offshore gas resources, attention will increasingly shift from construction achievements to operational performance. In that context, commissioning will remain one of the most critical and least visible success factors behind every floating production project.
The latest Saipem award serves as a reminder that, in offshore developments, first gas is not achieved when fabrication ends. It is achieved when thousands of individual systems operate together safely, reliably and as designed
Reference
Saipem. (2026, September 8). Saipem awarded a new contract in Türkiye for the client GOE Petrol Sana. https://www.saipem.com/en/en/media/news/Saipem-awarded-a-new-contract-in-T%C3%BCrkiye-for-the-client-GOE-Petrol-Sana
