Somalia set for first offshore oil drilling in historic step
Somalia is poised to launch its first offshore oil drilling campaign, with a Turkish government-owned drillship due to reach its waters on Friday.
Basillioh Rukanga and Richard KagoeTuesday April 7, 2026
Somalia is poised to launch its first offshore oil drilling campaign, with a Turkish government-owned drillship due to reach its waters on Friday.
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The step comes after a Turkish research vessel completed seismic surveys last year, helping map the area’s underground potential.
In a post on X, Somalia’s Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire called the approach to the country’s first offshore drilling effort a “historic milestone in our offshore energy journey… A new chapter begins.”
The foreign ministry said a successful drilling programme could open access to offshore oil reserves and bolster the country’s economic recovery as a regional energy player.
The Turkish Petroleum Corporation’s drilling ship, Çağrı Bey, is carrying out its first overseas assignment and is headed into Somalia’s territorial waters in the Arabian Sea.
It is set to begin deep-water drilling at locations selected on the basis of the latest surveys, which identified promising hydrocarbon prospects.
“This signals Somalia’s readiness to move into exploratory drilling, beginning with our most promising offshore prospects,” Shire said.
He said the government would work to ensure that any gains from oil drilling translate into national prosperity and better living conditions for Somali citizens.
Turkey and Somalia formalised their cooperation in 2024 through a production-sharing agreement.
On Monday, Somali Foreign Minister Ali Omar said the drilling campaign would strengthen Turkey’s standing as a “trusted long-term partner” in development.
Speaking on Saturday before his planned trip to Somalia, Turkey’s Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said any discovery of oil or gas reserves would deliver major economic gains for Somalia, East Africa and Turkey.
Ankara has steadily deepened its relationship with Somalia and has invested in the country for more than a decade. In recent years, it has also expanded its military footprint there and already runs a major base built in 2017.
Researchers estimate Somalia may hold billions of barrels of oil reserves, but decades of conflict and political instability have repeatedly stalled exploration.