Turkey, U.S. Sign Energy Accord

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- Turkey has signed a major energy exploration deal with
a U.S. firm.
The Turkish national oil company has signed an agreement with ExxonMobil
for the exploration of crude oil in the Black Sea. The agreement with the
state-owned Turkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortakligi called for the exploration
of two large deepwater blocks off the coast of Turkey.
"Together, TPAO and ExxonMobil have all the tools required to fully
evaluate the potential of these blocks and safely develop whatever
commercial quantities of oil and gas we discover," TPAO president Mehmet
Uysal said. "We look forward to working together on an aggressive exploration
program to see what we can find."