Türkiye’s research ship arrives in Somalia for oil, gas exploration

ANKARA

Turkish research vessel Oruç Reis has arrived off the coast of Somalia to conduct seismic surveys for oil and natural gas, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced on Oct. 25.

"Oruç Reis has reached its mission location after its journey across continents," Bayraktar shared on X.

The minister, along with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, is scheduled to attend the welcoming ceremony for the seismic research vessel later in the day.

The ship sailed for Somalia earlier this month to conduct seismic surveys for oil and natural gas in three areas where Türkiye has secured exploration licenses.

Oruç Reis will carry out three-dimensional seismic studies in areas off the coast of Somalia.

The mission is expected to last approximately seven months and will involve collecting seismic data for both oil and natural gas. This data will be analyzed in the Turkish capital Ankara to identify potential drilling sites.

Earlier this year, Türkiye and Somalia signed memorandums of understanding between their ministries and governments.

Under these agreements, Turkish Petroleum, Türkiye's national oil company, obtained licenses for three offshore areas in Somali waters.

The ministry plans to conduct seismic surveys across the three licensed zones, each covering roughly 5,000 square kilometers (1,931 square miles).

In an earlier statement, the Turkish minister said that sending off the Oruç Reis seismic research vessel to Somalia marks the beginning of a “historic era” for Türkiye, Bayraktar said.

“We currently have partnerships in three oil fields in Northern Iraq, but we want to expand this. We also want to be more active in Iraq’s Basra and Libya.”

He recalled that Türkiye recently signed an MoU with Sao Tome and Principe with the aim of developing energy cooperation between the two countries.

Türkiye may also explore oil and natural gas in Sao Tome and Principe, Bayraktar said.