Turkey to send oil and gas exploration ship to Somalia

Somalia

MOGADISHU, July 18, 2024 – Turkey will send an oil and gas exploration vessel to Somalia later this year to conduct a seismic study at three blocks, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Citing the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the report said the ship would be deployed in September or October under an agreement giving Turkey the exclusive rights to explore and produce from the blocks.

The Oruç Reis seismic vessel will “conduct a significant seismic study there, which can last for months,” Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar was quoted as saying.

The study will cover all three blocks, two of which are around 50 kilometres offshore and one of which is around 100 kilometres offshore. The names of the blocks were not specified.

Somalia’s offshore last made headlines in March, when Liberty Petroleum signed PSAs for three deepwater exploration blocks.