Türkiye's seismic research vessel, Oruc Reis, has arrived off the coast of Somalia to commence its search for oil and natural gas, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar announced on Friday.
"Oruc Reis has reached its mission location after its journey across continents," Bayraktar saidon social media platform X, News.Azreports.Oruç Reis kıtaları aşan yolculuğunda görev yerine ulaştı. Yerli ve milli sismik araştırma gemimizi bugün Somali’de karşılıyoruz. pic.twitter.com/m7C0FSZzxj
— Alparslan Bayraktar (@aBayraktar1) October 25, 2024
Later on Friday, Bayraktar, alongside Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, is set to participate in a welcoming ceremony for the seismic research vessel. The ship departed for Somalia earlier this month to perform seismic surveys in three areas where Türkiye has obtained exploration licenses.
Oruc Reis will carry out three-dimensional seismic studies in areas off the coast of Somalia. The mission is expected to last approximately seven months and will involve collecting seismic data for both oil and natural gas. This data will be analyzed in Ankara to identify potential drilling sites.
Earlier this year, Türkiye and Somalia signed memorandums of understanding between their ministries and governments. Under these agreements, Turkish Petroleum, Türkiye's national oil company, obtained licenses for three offshore areas in Somali waters. The ministry plans to conduct seismic surveys across the three licensed zones, each covering roughly 5,000 square kilometers (1,931 square miles).
