ISTANBUL, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye launched its first-ever overseas deep-sea drilling operation on Friday in Somalia with a ceremony held at the Port of Mogadishu for the arrival of its ultra-deepwater drillship, Cagri Bey.
The vessel is set to begin exploration activities at the Curad-1 well, approximately 372 kilometers off the Somali coast, according to a statement released by the Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Ministry.
The site, selected after months of seismic surveys by the Turkish vessel Oruc Reis, was noted for its significant hydrocarbon potential.
During the ceremony, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar described the operation as the beginning of a "new era" for Türkiye's petroleum and natural gas industry.
The drilling at Curad-1, expected to take six to nine months, aims for a total depth of 7,500 meters -- about 3,500 meters of water and 4,000 meters below the seabed, according to the statement.
The seventh-generation drillship Cagri Bey uses advanced robotics and positioning to operate in ultra-deep waters inaccessible to standard vessels, Turkish media says. ■
