Somalia Set To Launch First Offshore Oil Drilling

Somalia is preparing to launch its first offshore oil drilling campaign this month, with Turkey’s state-backed deepwater drillship Çağrı Bey scheduled to arrive off the Horn of Africa on April 10.

The operation will be Turkey’s first overseas deepwater drilling project.

The drilling follows 3D seismic surveys conducted by Turkey’s research vessel Oruç Reis, which mapped three offshore blocks covering nearly 5,000 km² in Somali waters.

Two blocks lie approximately 50 km from the coast, while a third is about 100 km offshore.

Somalia’s Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire described the project as a “historic milestone in our offshore energy journey,” while Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Omar said it could support resource-led growth and deepen Turkey’s role as a development partner if commercially viable volumes are discovered.

Somali officials are presenting the project as part of a broader economic recovery strategy.

The offshore campaign operates under a bilateral framework signed in March 2024, which covers onshore and offshore oil and gas cooperation, including exploration, production, midstream and downstream operations.

Turkey’s Energy Ministry said the partnership aims to help develop Somalia’s resources for the benefit of its people while expanding Ankara’s energy presence in the Horn of Africa.

Somalia remains a largely untapped frontier basin. Only two exploration wells have ever been drilled along its roughly 1,000 km offshore margin. Some industry and Somali government-linked sources estimate prospective, un-risked resources in the Somali Basin could exceed 30 billion barrels of oil.

Experts caution that this figure reflects potential volumes inferred from seismic and geological modeling, not proven commercial reserves.

The first well, identified as Curad-1, is planned to reach depths of up to 12,000 metres in Somalia’s deepwater margin. Drilling will test whether the seismic structures contain commercially recoverable hydrocarbons.

Any production would require further appraisal, development planning, and infrastructure investment.

The strategic partnership extends beyond hydrocarbons. Turkey has been one of Somalia’s closest external partners for more than a decade, investing in infrastructure, health, education, and maintaining a military training presence since 2017. Turkish naval vessels accompanied parts of the seismic survey.

Turkey has accelerated upstream engagement in 2026, signing exploration agreements with ExxonMobil, Chevron, and BP, with additional partnerships expected. Its fleet now includes six drillships alongside seismic vessels Oruç Reis and Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa, ranking it among the world’s larger offshore exploration operators.

Beyond Somalia, Turkey plans offshore seismic studies in Pakistan this year and has secured exploration rights in Libya in partnership with Repsol.

Ankara aims to raise output from national oil operations to 500,000 barrels per day by 2028, with a long-term target of 1 million barrels per day, strengthening its energy security and global upstream presence.