Somalia says it is ready to begin its first offshore oil drilling operations, with a Turkish government-owned drilling ship expected to arrive off its coast on Friday.
The move follows the successful completion of seismic surveys last year by a Turkish research vessel.
In a post on X, Somalia's Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire described the move toward what would be the country's first offshore drilling as a "historic milestone in our offshore energy journey... A new chapter begins."
The foreign ministry said if the drilling were to be successful, it would unlock offshore oil reserves and support the country's economic recovery as a regional energy player.
The Turkish Petroleum Corporation's drilling ship, Çağrı Bey, is on its first international mission, heading into Somalia's territorial waters in the Arabian Sea.
It will carry out deep water drilling at sites identified by recent surveys that mapped the country's hydrocarbon potential.
"This signals Somalia's readiness to move into exploratory drilling, beginning with our most promising offshore prospects," Shire said.
He added that the country would ensure that the benefits of the oil drilling leads to national prosperity and improves the well-being of the people.
Turkey and Somalia formalised their cooperation in 2024 through a production-sharing agreement.
On Monday, Somali Foreign Minister Ali Omar said the oil drilling campaign would reinforce Turkey's role as a "trusted long-term partner" in development.
Speaking on Saturday ahead of his planned travel to Somalia, Turkey's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said any discovery of oil or gas reserves would bring significant economic benefits to Somalia, East Africa and Turkey.
Ankara has been deepening its ties with Somalia and has invested in the country for more than a decade. It has also expanded its military presence there in recent years, where it already operates a major base built in 2017.
Researchers estimate the country holds billions of barrels of oil reserves, but exploration has been hampered by decades of conflict and political instability.
More BBC stories on Somalia:
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
BBC Africa podcasts
LATEST POSTS
- 1
How to watch ‘The Traitors’ Season 4: Premiere date, episode release time, full cast list and more - 2Yes, NASA's launching Artemis 2 astronauts to the moon on April Fools' Day. It's not a joke.
- 3Exploring the Difficulties of Beginning a Family: Individual Experiences
- 4The Conclusive Manual for Spending plan Travel: Opening Undertakings on a Tight budget
- 5Best Quest for new employment Site for You to Track down Amazing open doors
- Pentagon advances Golden Dome missile defense with new Space Force contracts
- Greenland’s melting ice and landslide-prone fjords make the oil and minerals Trump is eyeing dangerous to extract
- Climate engineering would alter the oceans, reshaping marine life – our new study examines each method’s risks
- Scientists dove hundreds of feet into the ocean and found creatures no human has ever seen. Our trash beat us there
- Figure out How to Ascertain the Restitution Time frame for Your Sunlight based chargers
- Deadly attack on kindergarten reported in Sudan
- NASA troubleshoots Artemis II toilet problem in otherwise smooth flight
- Twelve injured near Beit Shemesh, reports of shrapnel impact in Eilat as Iran targets Israel
- Flu is rising rapidly, driven by a new variant. Here's what to know
