President Mohamud Reviews Progress of Offshore Oil Exploration Aboard Turkish Drillship

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Federal government of Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Friday inspected the Turkish drilling vessel Çağrı Bey operating in Somali waters, receiving an update on the country’s offshore oil exploration campaign as the nation seek to establish the potential of its petroleum resources.

During the visit, the president was briefed by technical experts and officials aboard the vessel on work completed, progress in drilling operations and preliminary findings from efforts to assess oil resources beneath the seabed.

The operation marks an important phase in Somalia’s efforts to explore its offshore energy potential, with the results expected to help determine whether the targeted geological formations contain commercially viable petroleum deposits.

The Çağrı Bey arrived in Somalia in April 2026 to undertake deep-sea exploration at the Curad-1 well, located about 370 kilometres off the coast of Mogadishu. The operation followed seismic surveys conducted by Türkiye’s Oruç Reis research vessel, which collected geological data from three offshore blocks to identify potential drilling locations.

The drilling campaign forms part of an energy cooperation agreement between Somalia and Türkiye, which have expanded their bilateral partnership in exploration and development of the country’s oil and gas resources. The deployment of Çağrı Bey also marked Türkiye’s first deep-sea exploration drilling operation abroad.

The exploration programme offers Somalia the prospect of developing a new source of national revenue, attracting investment and supporting long-term economic growth. However, the scale and commercial viability of any potential reserves will depend on the findings of the ongoing exploration work.

The federal government has previously highlighted the importance of developing the country’s natural resources while ensuring that their management serves the interests of the Somali people.

The president’s visit underscores the government’s attention to the drilling campaign as Somalia works to establish the extent of its offshore petroleum resources and assess their potential contribution to the country’s economic future.