Turkish Petroleum will send seismic vessel to survey three blocks in October — Somaliland protests
State-owned Turkish Petroleum is set to send a seismic vessel to Somalia within weeks to begin initial exploration work on three recently awarded offshore blocks.
The move is part of wide-ranging agreement between Ankara and Mogadishu under which Turkey’s navy will provide maritime defence and training services for two years — building on a 10 -year relationship — in return for securing access to three exploration blocks offshore.
On Saturday, Turkey’s Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Turkish Petroleum will send its seismic vessel Oruc Reis to Somalia in early October to acquire 3D seismic data over the oil and gas acreage.
The blocks have not been identified, but Bayraktar said they each cover about 5000 square kilometres, with two of them located 50 kilometres offshore and the other sited 100 kilometres offshore.
He said water depths range up to 3000 metres, adding that drilling depths below the seabed of future exploration wells is expected to be between 3000 and 4000 metres.
Bayraktar said the 3D survey will last “for months”.
Support ships, including naval vessels, will accompany Oruc Reis during its voyage to Somalia and during its time there.
Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland has warned against any deployment of Turkish forces in its maritime zones.
“The government of the Republic of Somaliland vehemently rejects any potential deployment of Turkish naval forces within Somaliland’s recognised maritime zones,” a Somaliland government statement said.
“The reported intention of Turkish naval forces to operate in Somaliland maritime zones constitutes a grave violation of international law and (our) sovereign rights.”
Somalia, along with the rest of the international community, does not recognise Somaliland as an independent nation, although landlocked Ethiopia recently raised the ante by inking a tentative deal to access a port in the breakaway region and potentially open a naval base in the territory, a move that angered Mogadishu.
By Iain Esau
