Mogadishu: The oil drilling initiative in Somalia has entered a new phase as the country prepares to begin its first offshore exploration activities. The development has followed the completion of seismic surveys conducted last year by a Turkish research vessel.
Dahir Shire, Somalia’s Petroleum Minister, has described the project as a historic milestone, highlighting the start of offshore energy exploration in the country. A drilling ship operated by Turkish Petroleum Corporation, named Çağrı Bey, is expected to arrive in Somalia’s territorial waters in the Arabian Sea. The vessel will carry out deep-water oil drilling at locations identified through earlier hydrocarbon mapping.
The oil drilling project has been undertaken under a production-sharing agreement signed between Somalia and Turkey in 2024. The agreement has strengthened cooperation between the two countries in energy and development sectors.
The Çağrı Bey drilling vessel is expected to arrive in Somalia in the coming days, marking a historic milestone in our offshore energy journey.
This signals Somalia’s readiness to move into exploratory drilling, beginning with our most promising offshore prospects.
Somalia… pic.twitter.com/s96qziNHaB
— Dahir Shire (@DahaShire) April 6, 2026
Ali Omar, Somalia’s Foreign Minister, has stated that the drilling campaign will reinforce Turkey’s position as a long-term partner in development. Alparslan Bayraktar, Turkey’s Energy Minister, has added that any discovery of oil or gas could bring significant economic benefits to Somalia, East Africa and Turkey.
Somalia has been estimated to hold billions of barrels of oil reserves, although exploration has been delayed due to years of conflict and political instability. Authorities have indicated that the current oil drilling phase could help unlock these resources. The government has also emphasised that revenues from oil drilling are expected to contribute to economic recovery and improve living conditions across the country.
Turkey has expanded its presence in Somalia over the past decade, including infrastructure investments and a military base established in 2017. The energy partnership has further strengthened bilateral ties. The upcoming offshore operations have been viewed as a crucial step toward establishing Somalia as a regional energy player, depending on the success of the drilling results.
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