Türkiye has initiated its first international deep-sea drilling project, deploying the Cagri Bey vessel off the coast of Somalia near Mogadishu.
During an event in Mogadishu to mark the start of the project, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated that the operation represents a new era in Türkiye’s petroleum exploration strategy, reported Reuters.
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The project involves drilling the Curad-1 well, located approximately 372km from Mogadishu.
The well is set to reach a total depth of 7,500m, comprising 3,500m of water depth and 4,000m below the seabed, making it one of the deepest offshore wells globally.
Bayraktar said the geological structure targeted for this operation was identified through seismic surveys carried out by Türkiye’s Oruc Reis vessel.
The development follows a cooperation agreement signed between Türkiye and Somalia in early 2024 aimed at exploration, evaluation, development and production of oil in Somalian terrestrial and offshore blocks.
Somalia’s Mineral Resources Minister Dahir Shire Mohamed said: “Today is a historic day for Somalia to welcome the Turkish ship to drill the oil. It is also a new hope and positive step to make use of the fuel.”
Operations are scheduled to run for six to ten months, with the timeline subject to weather and monsoon conditions. A support fleet of auxiliary vessels will manage logistics, positioning and personnel transfers, with offshore security provided by Turkish naval assets, according to a report from Turkish state-owned news agency Anadolu Ajansı.
The drilling is part of Türkiye’s strategy over the past decade to increase domestic exploration capacity, which now involves one of the world’s largest deep-sea drilling fleets.
This mission comes after Türkiye’s domestic exploration successes including the discovery of natural gas in the Black Sea and ongoing supply to around four million households.
The Somalia project also ties into broader Turkish engagement in Africa, which has resulted in an increase in energy, trade and security initiatives since the early 2000s.
Bayraktar confirmed that findings from the drilling will be released in the following months. He stated that Türkiye aims to raise oil or equivalent hydrocarbon production to 500,000 barrels per day by 2028, with plans to double the amount through foreign exploration and production-sharing deals.
