In the latter part of October, a ship is set to anchor near Somalia’s shore to perform seismic surveys for potential oil and gas reserves!
Casting off from Istanbul this Saturday, Türkiye’s own research vessel, Oruc Reis, is prepped for a Somali voyage, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar waving it off.
The boat’s on track to hit Somalia’s waters before October fades. There, it’ll hunt for oil and gas in three zones where Türkiye’s bagged exploration rights, according to official chatter from the ministry.
To get there, it’s charting a course across the Mediterranean, through the Suez, and cruising into the Red Sea.
Flanked by a pair of navy frigates and a posse of support ships including the Zaganos Pasa, Sancar Platform, and Ataman Tracker, it’s going to be a sea party.
Oruc Reis is diving into a trippy three-dimensional seismic study just offshore of Somalia.
The gig’s set to run around seven months, digging up both oil and gas intel, with the findings headed to Ankara for a deep dive into potential drilling hotspots.
“Oruc Reis is pioneering 3D seismic research in these maritime zones. We believe there’s a whiff of oil where it’s snooping,” mentioned Bayraktar.
The ship’s already racked up data on a whopping 23,000 square clicks!
Forged in 2017, Oruc Reis hails entirely from Türkiye, a product of Turkish brain, brawn, and backing from blueprint to build.
Bred for probing Earth’s crust, waves, and depths, it’s 87 meters long, 23 wide, and 34 meters tall.
Its heart beats with four 2,520 kW diesel-electric engines, able to pull off both two and three-dimensional seismic digs for underwater oil and gas quests. So far, it’s covered oodles of ground—23,000 square kilometers to be exact, in double-dipped dimensions.
Earlier this annum, Türkiye and Somalia linked arms, shaking on deals letting Turkish Petroleum nab exploration permits for three offshore Somali zones. The ministry’s setting its sights on surveying these troves, each stretching out over some 5,000 square kilometers.
Edited by: Ali Musa
Axadle international–Monitoring
