Overview
- Somalia announced its first offshore drilling campaign after the Turkish drillship Çagir Bey reached national waters and prepared to start the Curad-1 exploratory well later this month.
- The operation builds on a 2024 Somalia–Turkey energy deal and earlier seismic work by the Oruç Reis vessel across offshore blocks that produced preliminary basin estimates.
- OilPrice.com reports that critics say the contract lets Turkish state firm TPAO keep up to 90% of early revenue for cost recovery while Somalia gets a 5% royalty at first.
- Supporters call the terms typical for high-risk frontier drilling and note Somalia’s share could rise after costs are repaid, though reserves remain unproven at this stage.
- State minister Ali Omar said a successful find could lift growth and cement Turkey as a long-term partner, as the Çagir Bey undertakes its first mission abroad under Ankara’s broader push in Somalia.