Turkey hopes to begin drilling for hydrocarbon energy resources off the coast of Somalia in 2026, following the results of a seismic study in the area, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar told journalists on Wednesday.
Ankara sent the Oruc Reis research ship to Somalia in October last year, where it conducted a 3D seismic study across three zones allocated to the company Turkish Petroleum.
Each zone covered 5,000 square kilometers, and Turkish officials hoped the survey would reveal oil deposits.
“We carried out seismic operations this year, and most likely 2026 will be a drilling year for us in Somalia’s offshore region,” Bayraktar said.
He added that an official announcement could be made in January. A Turkish official familiar with the matter told MEE last month that the seismic results would be fully ready by January.
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Bayraktar said that Ankara will dispatch “recently acquired vessels” to survey and extract resources from beneath the sea bed.
He added that offshore drilling would be highly complex, requiring operations in deep waters of around 3,000 meters.
Possible challenges
The coast of Somalia also presents security challenges, which have prompted Ankara to escort the Oruc Reis with frigates for nearly ten months until its work was completed.
Turkey’s agreement with Somalia also includes onshore drilling and energy extraction opportunities.
Bayraktar noted that there were still significant challenges involved in extraction.
“They don’t even have a road to access the area. So, we need to build the relevant infrastructure. Security is another challenge, and we are working to address these issues,” he said.
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“In 2026, we aim to start operations, and this time it will not be seismic studies but direct drilling in the onshore block in Somalia.”
A Somali source familiar with the matter told MEE that a tender to build road access would take place soon and that the infrastructure would be ready before drilling operations begin.
According to US government reports, Somalia may have at least 30 billion barrels of oil and gas reserves.
However, developing these resources would require significant investment over three to five years.
An energy expert told MEE in 2024 that Turkey would need to spend up to half a billion dollars to complete exploration and initial drilling operations in Somali waters.
Further development of oil or gas reserves could cost several billion dollars more.
Since 2011, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has invested heavily in Somalia, establishing the largest Turkish embassy in the world in Mogadishu and providing over $1bn in humanitarian aid in response to a deadly drought.
Turkey now operates a large military base in Mogadishu, and Turkish companies manage both the city’s airport and port.
Ankara has also trained thousands of Somali soldiers, representing roughly one-third of Somalia’s military, both in Turkey and at its Mogadishu base, known as Turksom.
