Somalia to begin drilling first oil block in coming months, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announces
In October 2024, the Turkish oil exploration vessel, Oruç Reis, conducted seismic surveys in three areas where Türkiye holds exploration licenses.
Somalia will start drilling its first oil block "in the coming months", President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced on Monday during the opening of the 7th Session of the Federal Parliament in Mogadishu.
The announcement comes as Somalia seeks to tap some of the world's largest untapped oil reserves.
Over the past year, Somalia has partnered with Türkiye to prepare for exploration. In October 2024, the Turkish oil exploration vessel, Oruç Reis, conducted seismic surveys in three areas where Türkiye holds exploration licenses.
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The partnership deepened in April 2025, when Türkiye and Somalia signed an onshore hydrocarbon exploration agreement, allowing the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) to explore three land blocks covering about 16,000 square kilometres.
The deal was finalised in Ankara by Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Somali Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Dahir Shire Mohamed.
"This is a significant achievement that reinforces our objective for Somalia to fully harness its natural resources, transforming them into economic opportunities and social progress," Hassan said during an inspection tour at the time.
In addition to oil exploration, Hassan announced plans to build Africa's first satellite launch station with Turkish support, noting that the project is part of a broader development push, including new roads, airports, and ports, aimed at positioning Somalia as a regional hub for innovation and technology.
"Our commitment is to use the wealth God has blessed Somalia with to drive growth," he told Parliament.
Hassan also highlighted improvements in Somalia's security over the past three years, noting that the largest portion of the federal budget is now dedicated to security and military reforms.
He similarly praised MPs for passing legislation that secured debt relief and advanced constitutional reforms that had been stalled for years.
"This is the fruit of citizen contributions through taxation," he said, adding that the government can now pay monthly salaries for 100,000 soldiers, civil servants, teachers, and political staff entirely from internal resources.
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