Türkiye’s Somalia offshore drilling nears early completion

MOGADISHU

Somali Petroleum Authority Director General Abdulkadir Adan has said Türkiye’s deep-sea oil and gas exploration drilling off the coast of Somalia is progressing ahead of schedule and could be completed by the end of September.

Speaking to the Somali National News Agency (SONNA), Adan said the drilling had reached a depth of around 3,000 meters and was proceeding rapidly and without technical difficulties.

The operation was initially scheduled to be completed in October, but Adan said the current pace could bring completion forward by about a month.

“Completion by the end of September is possible. October had previously been set as the target completion date,” he said.

Adan said no accidents or technical problems had been reported so far and that the operation was being conducted in line with safety and technical standards.

Between 470 and 480 personnel are working aboard the drilling and support vessels, with Turkish nationals accounting for around 20 percent of the workforce.

Türkiye’s seventh-generation ultra-deepwater drillship Çağrı Bey is conducting exploration drilling at the Curad-1 well, around 370 kilometers offshore from Mogadishu. The operation aims to drill approximately 4,000 meters below the seabed and reach a total depth of 7,500 meters.

The project marks Türkiye’s first deep-sea exploration drilling operation outside its own territorial waters. Çağrı Bey is supported by the Altan, Korkut and Sancar vessels, while Turkish naval assets are also contributing to the fleet’s security.

Türkiye and Somalia signed an intergovernmental agreement and memorandum of understanding on oil and gas cooperation in March 2024, followed by a production-sharing agreement covering three offshore blocks in July.

Türkiye’s Oruç Reis seismic research vessel subsequently collected three-dimensional seismic data across 4,464 square kilometers in the three blocks. After nearly seven months of surveys and data analysis,

Curad-1 was selected for drilling following the identification of promising geological structures.

Built in South Korea in 2024, the 228-meter Çağrı Bey can drill to depths of up to 12,000 meters.

A successful Curad-1 operation is expected to help determine Somalia’s offshore energy potential and pave the way for the two countries’ energy cooperation to enter the production phase.