Turkish vessel set for hydrocarbon exploration in Somalia

ANKARA

Türkiye's seismic research vessel Oruç Reis is scheduled to depart for Somalia this weekend, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has said.

The minister announced the deployment at a conference in the capital Ankara on Oct. 2.

It follows a deal signed between Türkiye and Somalia for hydrocarbon exploration in three designated offshore blocks.

Under the agreement finalized in July, Türkiye will hold exclusive rights to explore and produce hydrocarbons in the blocks, each covering around 5,000 square kilometers.

Two of the blocks are located about 50 kilometers from the Somali coast, while the third is positioned 100 kilometers offshore.

The Oruç Reis will conduct “very important seismic research that will last for months," which could lead exploration, drilling and possibly a discovery, the minister said earlier.

Describing the agreement as “a historic step” for both nations, Bayraktar said the vessel will be accompanied by a 50-person crew and five support ships on its journey to Somalia.

Türkiye maintains a fleet of seven vessels dedicated to hydrocarbon exploration and production at sea. This includes the Oruç Reis and the Barbaros Hayreddin Paşa, another seismic research vessel, as well as drilling vessels Fatih, Yavuz, Kanuni and Abdülhamid Han.