Decades of political instability and persistent conflict have long blocked Somalia from tapping its vast untapped offshore hydrocarbon reserves, but the East African nation is finally poised to turn that page this week, with the arrival of a Turkish state-owned drilling ship expected at its Arabian Sea territorial waters on Friday.
This long-awaited exploratory operation comes on the heels of a successful 2024 seismic survey conducted by a Turkish research vessel, which mapped out high-potential deep-water sites for initial drilling. The milestone is the result of a formal energy cooperation agreement between Somalia and Turkey signed in 2024, cementing a partnership that has grown steadily over more than a decade of Turkish investment in the Horn of Africa nation.
Somalia’s Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire framed the launch of the country’s first-ever offshore drilling project as a transformative moment for the country in a post on social media platform X, calling it “a historic milestone in our offshore energy journey” that opens “a new chapter” for the Somali energy sector. “This signals Somalia’s readiness to move into exploratory drilling, beginning with our most promising offshore prospects,” Shire added, noting that the government is committed to ensuring any energy revenues generated will be directed toward broad national prosperity and improved public welfare for all Somali citizens.
The vessel leading the operation is the Turkish Petroleum Corporation’s (TPAO) drilling ship *Çağrı Bey*, which is embarking on its first international mission for the state-owned energy firm. Once anchored, it will conduct deep-water drilling at the hydrocarbon-rich sites identified in last year’s survey.
Somalia’s Foreign Ministry has emphasized that successful discovery of commercial oil reserves would not only unlock the country’s massive offshore resource potential, but also position Somalia as a new competitive regional energy player and provide a critical boost to the country’s ongoing post-conflict economic recovery. Somali Foreign Minister Ali Omar reinforced this perspective earlier this week, noting that the collaborative drilling campaign further solidifies Turkey’s standing as a “trusted long-term partner” for Somalia’s development efforts.
Turkey’s Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar echoed that mutual benefit ahead of his upcoming official visit to Somalia, stating that any significant oil or gas discovery from the project would deliver major economic gains for three parties: Somalia, the broader East African region, and Turkey. Ankara has built deep political, economic and security ties with Somalia over the past 12 years, expanding its engagement steadily; it established a large military base in the country in 2017 and has grown its presence there in recent years.
Industry researchers have long estimated that Somalia holds billions of barrels of untapped oil reserves, but decades of civil war, political fragmentation and security instability have prevented large-scale exploration and development of these resources for generations. If this initial drilling campaign yields successful results, analysts say it could open a new era of energy development for one of Africa’s most conflict-affected nations.