Deputy Government Spokesman Christos Christofides said on Tuesday that the drilling process for hydrocarbons by American company Noble Energy International has been started, adding that this work is exploratory and it is estimated to last two and a half months.

He also noted that the Cyprus government closely monitors the situation and has taken all necessary actions in order to secure that the procedure will continue without obstructions.

Speaking to the press, Christofides said that the drilling process by Noble Energy has started on the basis of the agreement with the Republic of Cyprus, explaining that “this first phase is exploratory and it is likely to last about two and a half months”.
“A second round of exploration will follow, lasting several months and it will give us a clear picture on the size and the quality of the deposit”, he added.

Christofides also underlined that Cyprus government has handled the issues of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEC) and the process of exploration of hydrocarbons with “seriousness, determination, confidentiality and composure and it will carry on the same way