Turkey’s state energy company, Turkish Petroleum (TPAO), has signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S. oil giant Chevron to explore potential collaborations in oil and natural gas projects, the country’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced.

Bayraktar said the agreement is designed to support both domestic and international energy initiatives. He noted that projects under this partnership will help advance ongoing operations in the Gabar field in southeastern Turkey and the Black Sea, while also moving TPAO closer to its goal of becoming a global energy player with a production target of one million barrels.

“Through this memorandum, we aim to develop joint ventures that span Türkiye and the international market,” Bayraktar wrote on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal. He added that further international partnerships are expected to be finalized soon, with detailed project plans to be shared with the public.

This deal follows a similar understanding previously signed between TPAO and ExxonMobil’s ESSO Exploration International Limited, which focused on exploring new areas in the Black Sea and Mediterranean regions, among other potential sites.

The collaboration with Chevron marks another step in Turkey’s push to expand its energy footprint both at home and abroad.