Türkiye Sends Drillship to Somalia for its First Overseas Energy Drill

Türkiye’s dispatch of a deepwater drillship to Somali waters marks a structural shift: Ankara is pairing energy exploration with security presence abroad. The voyage connects oil production targets, naval deployments, and defense transfers into a single operational framework.

The vessel departed Taşucu Port for Somalia with an escort of three warships and a transit time of about 45 days. Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar described the launch as a “historic moment”

For the first time, our deep-sea drilling ship is setting out on a mission beyond (our maritime zone).

Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar

Drilling at the Curad-1 well is scheduled to begin in April 2026 off the coast near Mogadishu.

Capability Export, Not Exploration

The seventh-generation drillship can operate in waters deeper than 3,000 meters and drill to roughly 12,000 meters.

According to the ministry, the targeted borehole will reach approximately 7,500 meters after surveys conducted across three offshore blocks by the Oruç Reis research vessel.

Bayraktar wrote “We named the well we will drill off the coast of Somalia ‘Curad-1’.”

The mission follows a 2024 exploration agreement granting Ankara access to offshore acreage. Türkiye aims to produce 500,000 barrels per day of oil or equivalent hydrocarbons by 2028 and reach 1 million barrels through foreign projects and partnerships.

The minister credited Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Hasan Sheikh Mahmoud for crossing “a new and historic threshold” in bilateral relations.

Security Architecture Expands

Energy activity coincides with military deliveries. On Feb 14, Türkiye transferred M48 and M60 Patton tanks to Somalia.

On Jan 29, three F-16 fighter jets were deployed to Mogadishu, linked by Middle East Eye to both drilling plans and a proposed spaceport north of the capital. The naval escort for the drillship adds maritime protection to the same operational pattern.

Somalia’s Oil and Mineral Resources Minister Dahir Shire Mohamed and Ports Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nuratt ended the departure ceremony. Reuters noted the voyage as Ankara’s first offshore exploration mission outside its maritime jurisdiction.

“Energy Actor Operating Abroad”

Türkiye previously conducted seismic surveys but had not drilled internationally. The combination of tanks, aircraft, and naval escort shows the operational model: protect infrastructure while building production capacity.

The Curad-1 well therefore functions as both a resource test and a demonstration of expeditionary industrial capability tied to a host government.