“Ocean Investigator”, one of ExxonMobil’s two research vessels to be sent to Cyprus for exploration in block 10 of the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) set sail for its destination at 10:45 am this morning.

The ship, which was docked at the Lavrio dockyard, in Attica, undergoing works on its equipment, is due to arrive in Cyprus on Monday night.

As the Cypriot newspaper “Kathimerini” reports, the second research vessel, “Med Surveyor”, also chartered by the consortium of block 10, is still off the coast of Haifa. The two vessels have been chartered by ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum to locate the targets where the drilling operations will be conducted by the ships in October.

Sources say that both Nicosia and the consortium have closely followed the recent incidents within the EEZ of Cyprus that include the target blocks, pointing out that there will be differentiation both in the preparation of the operations within the EEZ, as well as during the exploration period

The “Ocean Investigator” is described as an offshore supply vessel. It has a length of 80 metres and a displacement of about 3,300 tons.

The second vessel hired by ExxonMobil is the oceanographic/research “R/V Med Surveyor”, still located in the Israeli at the harbour of Haifa.