By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Somalia, 9 April 2026 — The long-awaited Turkish deep-sea drilling vessel Çağrı Bey has arrived in Somali waters to commence offshore oil exploration, officials from Somalia and Turkey announce.
The vessel which departed from Turkey's Mersin Taşucu Port on February 15 and arrived in Somalia on April 9.
According to Turkey's Energy Ministry the ship is a seventh-generation ultra-deepwater drilling rig measuring 228 meters in length and 42 meters in width, with a maximum drilling capacity of up to 12,000 meters.
It is expected to begin operations at the Curad-1 well, located approximately 372 km off the Somali coast.
The ministry added that the Curad-1 well is planned to reach a depth of 7,500 meters, with the operation expected to last around 288 days. The vessel is said to be the first Turkish deep-sea drilling ship to operate abroad.
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Somalia’s Ports and Marine Transport Minister, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, said the arrival of the vessel marks a key step in Somalia’s efforts to explore and potentially develop its offshore resources.
“Starting tomorrow, we will bid farewell to Çağrı Bey to the open seas off Somalia to discover our riches,” he said.
Turkey's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the deployment represents a milestone for the country's international energy operations.
“We are turning a whole new page in the energy history of both Turkey and Somalia,” he said.
Officials from both countries said the initiative reflects growing cooperation in the energy sector, although no further operational details were immediately disclosed.