Türkiye's deep-sea drillship Çağrı Bey is expected to arrive in Mogadishu on Friday and begin a drilling campaign that is set to last nearly 10 months, marking the country's first overseas deepwater exploration mission.
The vessel, which departed from southern Türkiye in mid-February, is due to complete its 53-day journey with a ceremony in the Somali capital attended by Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.
After arriving, the ship will begin drilling at a well located about 372 kilometers (231 miles) off the Somali coast. The well has been named "Curad," meaning the first-born child in Somali families, and is expected to become one of the world's deepest offshore wells.
According to the Energy Ministry, drilling will begin what is expected to be a 288-day operation in waters around 3,500 meters (11,480 feet) deep, while the well itself will extend roughly 4,000 meters below the seabed, reaching a total depth of about 7,500 meters. Officials say this would make Curad-1 the world's second-deepest offshore drilling well.
The drilling location was selected after the Turkish seismic research vessel Oruç Reis spent 234 days collecting data across three offshore blocks in Somali waters. The surveys covered a total area of 4,464 square kilometers before experts identified a promising drilling site.
Around 500 personnel will work on the operation on a rotational basis. The Turkish Navy will also support the mission with the vessels TCG Sancaktar, TCG Gökova and TCG Bafra escorting Çağrı Bey during the operation.
Bayraktar described the mission as a historic step for Türkiye's energy ambitions and said the project demonstrated Ankara's goal of becoming a global energy player.
"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 said the operation would serve the welfare of both countries and further strengthen the ties between Türkiye and Somalia.
The Somalia mission is part of Türkiye's broader push to expand exploration activities abroad and reduce dependence on imported energy.
Bayraktar has said Türkiye aims to raise national oil and gas production to around 500,000 barrels per day by 2028, with a longer-term target of 1 million barrels per day through domestic discoveries and overseas partnerships.
