• Submitted by: manso
• Science and Technology
• 07 / 31 / 2010

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HAVANA, July 30 (Reuters) - A Chinese-built drilling rig is expected to arrive in Cuban waters in early 2011, likely opening the open the way for full-scale exploration of the island's untapped offshore fields.

Companies with contracts to search for oil and gas in Cuba's portion of the Gulf of Mexico have already begun preparations to drill once the Scarabeo 9 rig gets to the Cuban island.

An official with Saipem, a unit of Italian oil company Eni SpA ENI.M told Reuters on Friday the massive semi-submersible rig should be completed at the Yantai Raffles YRSL.NFF shipyard in Yantai, China by the end of this year.

The journey to Cuba will take two months, and once it arrives it will be put into operation almost immediately, said the official, who asked not to be identified.

It will be used first as an exploratory well for a consortium led by Spanish oil giant Repsol YPF (REP.MC: Quote) (REP.N: Quote), which drilled the only offshore well in Cuba in 2004 and said at the time it had found hydrocarbons.

By Jeff Franks

Source: http://af.reuters.com