Ambassador Alkan and Somalia’s oil minister discuss Çağrı Bey’s operations

Türkiye’s Ambassador to Mogadishu Ferhat Alkan visited Somali Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Dahir Shire Mohamed to discuss energy cooperation and the operations of Çağrı Bey, which is drilling offshore Somalia.

Ferhat Alkan, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Mogadishu, paid a courtesy visit to Dahir Shire Mohamed, Somalia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. The meeting covered the current state of Türkiye-Somalia energy cooperation and its prospects for the future.

According to the embassy’s statement, the meeting addressed joint projects aimed at harnessing Somalia’s energy resources for the country’s economy and the welfare of the Somali people, as well as opportunities to develop technical capacity. The sides also exchanged views on the operations of the Çağrı Bey Ultra Deepwater Drilling Platform, which is continuing hydrocarbon exploration activities offshore Somalia.

Ambassador Ferhat Alkan and Somali Minister of Petroleum Dahir Shire Mohamed during their meeting

Critical phase at the Curad-1 well

According to data from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Çağrı Bey departed Mersin on February 15 and reached Mogadishu in April after a 53-day voyage around the African continent. The vessel is operating at the Curad-1 well, about 370 kilometers offshore from Mogadishu, at a water depth of approximately 3,500 meters. The ministry had announced that if the target depth of 7,500 meters is reached, Curad-1 would become the world’s second-deepest offshore well.

Abdulkadir Aden Mohamed, head of the Somali Petroleum Authority, said in an interview with Somali National Television last week that drilling had entered Early Cretaceous formations where signs of oil began, and that approximately 2,000 meters remained to the target. Dawan Africa reported that Mohamed said they hoped to reach the target depth in December.

A delegation on the helipad of the Çağrı Bey drilling vessel

The embassy stressed that Türkiye would continue supporting Somalia’s efforts through joint projects to develop its natural resources, strengthen its institutional and technical capacity in the energy sector and achieve its sustainable development goals. The embassy thanked Minister Shire for his strong support for Türkiye-Somalia energy cooperation.

Photos: Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Mogadishu

Ambassador Alkan and Somalia’s oil minister discuss Çağrı Bey’s operations