Mogadishu (Somalia Today) – Somalia officially launched its first offshore oil drilling campaign on Friday, welcoming a Turkish deep-sea vessel to Mogadishu, a milestone in the Horn of Africa nation’s energy ambitions.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre joined Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar at the capital’s port for the launch ceremony.
The arrival of the Çağrı Bey drilling ship marks Türkiye’s first deep-water hydrocarbon exploration mission beyond its own waters.
The operation deepens a partnership between Ankara and Mogadishu that has broadened in recent years from humanitarian support to defence, trade and energy cooperation.
“Somalia is moving towards peace and prosperity and away from insecurity and economic hardship,” Prime Minister Hamza said at the ceremony.
Hassan Sheikh said stronger security had helped attract foreign investment and made projects of national importance possible, while pledging that Somalia’s natural resources would be managed transparently and responsibly.
“The arrival of the Cagri Bay drilling project ushers in new chapter of shared progress,” the president said.
Historic offshore push
The campaign will target the Curad-1 well, about 372 kilometres (231 miles) off the coast of Mogadishu.
Turkish officials say drilling is expected to reach a total depth of 7,500 metres (24,600 feet), including roughly 4,000 metres below the seabed.
The offshore operation is expected to last between six and nine months, depending on sea and weather conditions.
Bayraktar said the launch of Curad-1 marked the start of “a new era” for Somalia’s energy sector and a major step in Türkiye’s offshore operations.
He said the well’s name, Curad, means “first-born child” in Somali, reflecting hopes that the first well could open the way to wider discoveries and deeper energy cooperation between the two countries.
The decision to drill follows months of data gathering by Türkiye’s Oruç Reis seismic research vessel.
Turkish officials say the ship spent 234 days surveying three offshore blocks and collecting three-dimensional seismic data across thousands of square kilometres.
They said the surveys identified promising geological structures, paving the way for drilling at Curad-1.
Friday’s ceremony capped months of closer ties between the two countries.
“No other country came forward to do this with us. Türkiye stepped up,” Said Somali President Hassa Sheikh Mohamud, invoking a Somali proverb: “It is the water from your own well that quenches your thirst.”
In early 2024, Mogadishu and Ankara signed a defence and economic cooperation agreement under which Türkiye agreed to help Somalia protect its territorial waters.
The two sides later signed an offshore oil and gas agreement covering exploration, development and production.
Economic hopes
For decades, Somalia’s offshore oil and gas potential remained largely untapped.
Political instability, insecurity and the lack of a functioning legal framework kept major international investment away.
That, however; began to change with the passage of a petroleum law in 2020 and the creation of the Somali Petroleum Authority, steps meant to provide a framework for licensing, oversight and revenue-sharing.
Somali officials have presented offshore exploration as a potential pillar of long-term economic recovery and self-reliance.
In late 2023, the federal government secured debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative, a breakthrough that Mogadishu described as a turning point after years of reform.
International financial institutions have since reported modest growth, while warning that Somalia’s progress remains fragile because of insecurity, climate shocks and uncertainty over foreign aid.
Regional backdrop
The drilling mission also comes amid growing geopolitical competition in the Horn of Africa.
Türkiye’s expanding role in Somalia has drawn attention across the region, particularly as Ankara has deepened its military, economic and diplomatic presence in the country.
Türkiye already operates its largest overseas military training base in Mogadishu and has trained thousands of Somali security personnel.
However, The demanding offshore environment will require extensive logistical coordination.
Support vessels will carry fuel, supplies and personnel between the drillship and the mainland, while Turkish naval assets help secure the operation.
As the Çağrı Bey prepares to begin drilling off Somalia’s coast, both governments hope the mission will yield more than geological data.
For Mogadishu, the launch signals a country trying to turn security gains and international partnerships into investment and economic opportunity.
