Somalia set for 'historic' first offshore oil drilling

Somalia says it is ready to begin its first offshore oil drilling operations, with a Turkish government-owned drilling ship expected to arrive off its coast on Friday.

The move follows the successful completion of seismic surveys last year by a Turkish research vessel.

In a post on X, Somalia's Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire described the move toward what would be the country's first offshore drilling as a "historic milestone in our offshore energy journey... A new chapter begins."

The foreign ministry said if the drilling were to be successful, it would unlock offshore oil reserves and support the country's economic recovery as a regional energy player.

The Turkish Petroleum Corporation's drilling ship, Çağrı Bey, is on its first international mission, heading into Somalia's territorial waters in the Arabian Sea.

It will carry out deep water drilling at sites identified by recent surveys that mapped the country's hydrocarbon potential.

"This signals Somalia's readiness to move into exploratory drilling, beginning with our most promising offshore prospects," Shire said.

He added that the country would ensure that the benefits of the oil drilling lead to national prosperity and improve the well-being of the people.

Turkey and Somalia formalised their cooperation in 2024 through a production-sharing agreement.

On Monday, Somali Foreign Minister Ali Omar said the oil drilling campaign would reinforce Turkey's role as a "trusted long-term partner" in development.

Speaking on Saturday ahead of his planned travel to Somalia, Turkey's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said any discovery of oil or gas reserves would bring significant economic benefits to Somalia, East Africa, and Turkey.

Ankara has been deepening its ties with Somalia and has invested in the country for more than a decade. It has also expanded its military presence there in recent years, where it already operates a major base built in 2017.

Researchers estimate the country holds billions of barrels of oil reserves, but exploration has been hampered by decades of conflict and political instability.