Turkish drillship to start nearly 10-month Somalia campaign

Thursday April 9, 2026

Türkiye’s deep-sea drillship Çağrı Bey is due to dock in Mogadishu on Friday, launching a nearly 10-month drilling campaign that will mark the country’s first deepwater exploration project beyond its own shores.

The vessel set sail from southern Türkiye in mid-February and is expected to wrap up its 53-day voyage with a ceremony in the Somali capital, where Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar is scheduled to attend.

Once in port, the ship will head to a drilling site roughly 372 kilometers (231 miles) off Somalia’s coast. The well, named “Curad” — a Somali term meaning the first-born child in a family — is being billed as one of the deepest offshore wells anywhere in the world.

According to the Energy Ministry, the project will open a 288-day drilling operation in waters about 3,500 meters (11,480 feet) deep. The well itself is expected to descend another 4,000 meters beneath the seabed, bringing the total depth to around 7,500 meters. Officials say that would make Curad-1 the second-deepest offshore drilling well in the world.

The site was chosen after Türkiye’s seismic research vessel Oruç Reis spent 234 days gathering data across three offshore blocks in Somali waters. The survey covered 4,464 square kilometers before specialists narrowed in on the drilling location.

About 500 people will take part in the operation on a rotating basis. The Turkish Navy will also provide support, with TCG Sancaktar, TCG Gökova and TCG Bafra escorting Çağrı Bey during the mission.

Bayraktar has called the venture a milestone for Türkiye’s energy strategy, saying it reflects Ankara’s ambition to emerge as a major player in global energy markets.

“Çağrı Bey’s historic mission is the clearest sign of Türkiye’s vision to become a strong and influential actor in global energy,” Bayraktar said.

He added that the project would benefit both countries and deepen the partnership between Türkiye and Somalia.

The Somalia mission forms part of Türkiye’s wider effort to broaden exploration abroad and curb reliance on imported energy.

Bayraktar has said Türkiye intends to lift national oil and gas output to about 500,000 barrels per day by 2028, with a longer-term goal of 1 million barrels per day through domestic finds and overseas cooperation.