Türkiye's national oil company and Somalia's petroleum authority signed on Thursday an agreement for hydrocarbon exploration and production covering Somalia’s onshore territory, a top official said.
The deal reached in Ankara marked a continuation of the energy cooperation between the two nations, building on positive momentum in bilateral ties in recent years.
"Our national company, Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO), and Somali Petroleum Administration signed the 'Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production Agreement' between Türkiye and Somalia for onshore areas," Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said in a post on X.
With this agreement, the TPAO will carry out two and three-dimensional seismic exploration activities in three land blocks of 16,000 square kilometers (6,178 square miles) in Somalia, he further said.
Afterward, it will carry out drilling activities according to its findings, he added.
Bayraktar welcomed Dahir Shire Mohamed, minister of petroleum and mineral resources of Somalia, and held a delegation meeting at the ministry, he said.
Moreover, he said that they "took a new step" that will take the partnership between Türkiye and Somalia in the field of energy to "a different stage and reinforce our strategic cooperation."
"Again, in the first stage, with seismic studies and then rapidly with drilling activities, we will move on to the detection and production of oil and gas fields in those areas. In this sense, this exemplary cooperation between the two countries continues to grow stronger," he said after the signing ceremony.
Last summer, Ankara and Mogadishu inked an agreement on hydrocarbon exploration and production. Türkiye then dispatched its domestically developed seismic research vessel to Somalia to begin seismic surveys for oil and natural gas in three licensed maritime jurisdictions later in the year.
"Hopefully, in the next stage, we aim to develop concrete projects in Somalia. This time in mining," the minister also said.
Bayraktar stated that they hoped the project in question would make a great contribution to the stability, development of Somalia and the stability of the region, and said: "We are currently carrying out a very active activity there. We will be even more active. I hope that we will get good results in all these works."
"As Türkiye, we were by Somalia's side during their worst days. Hopefully, we will be together during their good days," he added.
Furthermore, Bayraktar underlined that Türkiye is gradually moving toward the "National Energy and Mining Policy" goals with the capabilities it has developed in recent years. He also highlighted Türkiye's capability in both seismic and drilling in different geographies, which he said is important in terms of showing the point the country and its petroleum sector has reached.
"We held our meetings here today with our esteemed minister. As I said, we will enter a new phase in terms of mining, God willing, with our relations," he reiterated.
He also informed that his counterpart would spend a few days in Türkiye and would visit the drillship Fatih.
He recalled that a production sharing agreement was signed between the relevant companies of the two countries last year to develop projects in the offshore fields of Somalia and to search for oil resources there, stating that the Oruç Reis seismic exploration vessel has started its activities in this country within this scope.
"Our Oruç Reis seismic vessel is still continuing its activities there. Our 3D seismic activities are currently ongoing in three sea areas of approximately 15,000 square kilometers. Our project is 78% complete," he noted.
Moreover, he also expressed that the seismic activities there could be completed in May.
"As a result, we will have made our decision regarding the next stage, the drilling stage, in light of this data," he suggested.
The minister also said that the International Natural Resources Summit will be held in Istanbul on May 2 under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, where ministers from various parts of the world will bring relevant companies together.
"Türkiye is currently conducting studies in the open seas of Somalia. Today, we are taking our bilateral relations to a new level by signing an agreement for oil and gas exploration on land," Dahir said for his part.
"We are also aiming for a partnership in the field of mining. We expect Turkish mining companies to come to Somalia and make agreements after the necessary legal processes," he concluded.
