Turkey begins first deepwater drilling in Somalia

Turkey begins first deepwater drilling in Somalia

Turkey's Çağrı Bey has arrived in Somalia, launching the country's first foreign deepwater drilling mission.
The vessel will operate on the Curad-1 well, 372 km off the coast of Mogadishu. The project is expected to last 288 days and drill to a depth of 7,500 meters.

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the project would take energy cooperation between the two countries to a new level and could turn the Horn of Africa region into a promising oil and gas hub.

Somalis flocked to the beaches after seeing the Turkish-flagged Çağrı Bey drilling vessel. Somali Mineral Resources Minister Dahir Shire Mohamed said the vessel's arrival was a historic day for the country and brought new hope for resource development.