ExxonMobil research vessel “Ocean Investigator”, arrived in the port of Limassol on Wednesday morning. The ship will refuel and, after a scheduled safety check, will set sail for block 10 of the Cypriot EEZ where it will conduct underwater robot surveys.
So far, there are no indications of the presence of Turkish vessels in the region, although Turkey and the pseudo-state of Northern Cyprus have expressed the intention of blocking explorations in areas they consider disputed. The Turkish-Cypriot authorities demand that foreign companies should also request the permission of Northern Cyprus, something companies reject as they have signed agreements with the legitimate government of the Republic of Cyprus.

ExxonMobil’s other ship, “Med Surveyor”, remains off the coast of Haifa in Israel, and is expected to sail to Cyprus in the next few days to replace the “Ocean Investigator” in block 10 for environmental research. Nicosia has said it will continue its research plans, while Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides is expected to denounce Turkey’s actions to the UN Secretary-General with whom he will meet in Rome tomorrow.