Türkiye's drillship Cagri Bey sets sail for Somalia in historic energy mission

Türkiye's deep-sea drillship Cagri Bey departed Sunday from Mersin's Tasucu Port bound for Somalia, marking the vessel's first international mission and a historic milestone in the country's offshore energy expansion. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar attended the ceremony, stating the ship is expected to reach Mogadishu in approximately 45 days and begin drilling at the Curad-1 well in April.

Building on Seismic Surveys

The deployment follows energy cooperation agreements signed between Türkiye and Somalia in 2024, covering both onshore and offshore oil and natural gas exploration. The seismic vessel Oruc Reis has already completed surveys across three offshore blocks, laying the groundwork for the current drilling campaign. Bayraktar emphasized the mission's significance, saying, "I firmly believe that Cagri Bey... will elevate Türkiye-Somalia relations to a higher level."

Expanding Fleet, Global Reach

With Cagri Bey and its sister vessel Yildirim now operational, Türkiye's drillship fleet has grown to six. Combined with seismic vessels Oruc Reis and Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa, the country now possesses the world's fourth-largest offshore exploration fleet, according to Bayraktar. He also noted that since January, Türkiye has signed strategic exploration agreements with ExxonMobil, Chevron, and BP, with another international partnership expected next week.

Production Targets

Bayraktar outlined ambitious production goals, aiming for Türkiye's national oil company to reach approximately 500,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2028, with a long-term target of 1 million barrels daily. He wished the Cagri Bey crew a safe and successful mission.