The drilling of the Curad-1 oil well—the first well to be officially drilled in Somali offshore waters—has reached the Early Cretaceous layer, where indicators suggesting the potential presence of oil have begun to emerge, according to the Chairman of the Somali Petroleum Authority, Cabdulqaadir Aadan Maxamed.
In an interview with Somali National Television, the Chairman stated that approximately 2,000 meters remain to be drilled, noting that the upcoming phase is critical for assessing the potential for discovering oil.
He indicated that the drilling target is expected to be reached by December of this year, provided no unforeseen challenges arise.
“The drilling is now entering the zone where signs indicating the presence of oil begin to appear. As drilling progresses deeper, the encouragement and the prospect that oil might be present increase. You are now at the most crucial stage,” the Chairman said.
According to the Chairman, the first 2,000 meters drilled consisted of sedimentary layers, which did not yield sufficient data to determine the presence of oil. Samples taken from these strata have been prepared for further analysis.
To date, 18 rock samples extracted from the subsurface layers have been recovered, with another 15 expected. Experts from Turkey and the Somali National Petroleum Corporation are jointly examining these samples, cross-referencing them with data derived from 3D subsurface imaging.
The Corporation also plans to archive these samples so that students from the Somali National University may utilize them for scientific research and laboratory studies.
Drilling of the Curad-1 well commenced in April 2026 and is being carried out by the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO), utilizing the offshore drilling vessel *Çağrı Bey*.
The well is located approximately 372 kilometers northeast of Mogadishu; its progress is being closely monitored as Somalia seeks to verify the viability of oil resources within its territorial waters.
