Turkish drilling ship nears dock as Somalia moves toward oil production

By Nuri AdenTuesday April 7, 2026

A wave of anticipation is sweeping across Somalia as the country prepares to receive the Turkish drilling ship Cagri Bey, due in Mogadishu from April 9 in a development officials say could mark a turning point in Somalia’s oil and gas quest.

In an exclusive interview with TRT Afrika, Somalia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Dahir Shire Mohamed, called the arrival a historic moment for the nation.

“This is something that, as Somali people, we have been yearning for a very long time,” he said.

“I am proud to share this joy with the Somali people.”

‘New chapter’

The minister said the vessel’s docking would usher in a new chapter with the potential to drive lasting economic change. Somalia, he added, plans to hold national celebrations to welcome the ship to Mogadishu.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will preside over the ceremony.

Senior Somali government officials are expected to attend, alongside a Turkish delegation, led by Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.

Residents of Mogadishu have been closely following the vessel’s journey.

Long sail

“They (Mogadishu residents) are waiting with open hearts and great optimism, having long dreamed of this becoming a reality,” the Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire Mohamed said.

The ship’s journey to Somalia, which began on February 15, has been lengthy because of technical constraints.

Speaking at a send-off ceremony at Taşucu Port in Mersin, Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Cagri Bey’s drilling tower is too tall to pass through the Suez Canal.

That forced the vessel to take a far longer route, steering clear of some of the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoints.

Tracking the vessel

After leaving southern Türkiye, the seventh-generation ultra-deepwater drillship crossed the Mediterranean Sea toward the Strait of Gibraltar.

It then sailed into the Atlantic, heading down Africa’s west coast before rounding the Cape of Good Hope.

From there, the vessel turned northeast through the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden on its way to Mogadishu.

The journey, lasting about 45 days, is Türkiye’s first deep-sea drilling mission abroad.

Türkiye optimistic about mission

The drillship is expected to begin work at the Curad-1 well site, about 370 kilometres off the Somali coast, with drilling set for later April.

Before departure, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone to the crew and voiced confidence in the mission.

“We are expecting good news from Somalia, insha’Allah,” President Erdogan said, wishing the crew success on their voyage.

Bayraktar described the deployment as a “historic moment” for Türkiye’s widening oil and gas exploration drive.

Informed by extensive exploration

Türkiye’s offshore drilling plans in Somalia are rooted in energy cooperation agreements signed in 2024, covering both onshore and offshore exploration.

After those deals were struck, the Turkish seismic research vessel Oruç Reis carried out broad surveys across roughly 4,465 square kilometres in three offshore blocks.

The findings from that work informed the decision to drill the Curad-1 well, which is expected to reach a depth of around 7,500 metres.

Built in South Korea in 2024, the drillship is part of Türkiye’s expanding energy fleet and can drill to depths of up to 12,000 metres in deep water.

Economic transformation

The vessel is 228 metres long and can carry as many as 200 personnel.

The Somali government sees the exploration project as a key pillar of its economic strategy.

Shire said the effects of any drilling success could be felt quickly, especially in terms of strengthening the economy.

“Oil exploration is aimed at economic transformation, and once drilling delivers results, the first impact will be economic,” he said.

Renewed hope

For decades, Somalia’s oil and gas prospects remained largely untouched amid civil conflict, feeding public doubt about whether the sector could ever deliver.

But officials say that mood is changing, particularly after Somalia deepened its economic partnership with Türkiye.

For many Somalis, the arrival of Cagri Bey has become a sign of renewed hope.