Somalia is on the verge of becoming the newest oil-producing nation in Africa, with a Turkish deepwater drilling vessel expected to arrive in Somali waters this week to begin what officials in Mogadishu are calling the most significant economic milestone in the country’s modern history.
The drilling vessel, named the Cagri Bey, is operated by Turkey’s state-owned energy company and represents Ankara’s first-ever offshore drilling mission abroad. Turkey and Somalia signed a comprehensive hydrocarbons agreement in 2024 covering both onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration, building on years of deepening bilateral cooperation that includes security and military ties.
Somalia’s Prime Minister welcomed the development, calling it “historic” and a symbol of what Somalia could achieve as it emerges from decades of conflict and political instability. “This is the beginning of a new chapter for our nation,” he said at a ceremony marking the vessel’s departure from Turkey.
Years in the Making
The journey to this moment has been long. Turkey’s seismic survey ship, the Oruc Reis, completed offshore mapping studies in 2024 that identified promising hydrocarbon basins along Somalia’s extensive coastline on the Indian Ocean. Those findings gave both governments the confidence to push forward with actual drilling operations in 2026.
Somalia’s offshore blocks are considered potentially highly productive, sitting along geological formations similar to those that make Mozambique and Tanzania major new gas producers. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has flagged East Africa as one of the world’s most promising frontier regions for oil and gas development.
A Cautious Optimism
While the prospect of oil wealth has excited Somalis — a nation where more than 70% of the population lives below the poverty line — there is also deep caution. Nigeria, Angola, and South Sudan offer cautionary tales of how oil can fuel corruption, conflict, and inequality rather than broadly shared prosperity.
Somalia’s federal government has promised that oil revenues will be managed transparently and will benefit all Somalis. However, the country is still building the institutions — central bank, revenue authority, parliamentary oversight — needed to manage resource wealth responsibly.
Turkey’s Growing African Footprint
The Somalia drilling mission is the most visible symbol yet of Turkey’s expanding strategic footprint across Africa. Ankara has cultivated close relationships with a range of African governments through trade, development aid, and military cooperation. Somalia, where Turkey already maintains a large military training mission, represents perhaps its most significant investment on the continent.
The Cagri Bey is expected to spend several months at the first drilling location before results are known. Initial production, if the wells prove productive, is not expected before 2028 at the earliest.
Sources: Reuters, African News, Egypt Oil & Gas, TRT Afrika, The East African, Middle East Eye, Energy Capital Power