ExxonMobil and Qatar Energy have commenced exploratory drilling for natural gas in a prospect named Electra, located west of Cyprus, as announced by Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides on X.

The drilling operations began on Friday morning, part of Cyprus’s efforts to establish itself as a reliable source of natural gas for the EU.

“Cyprus progresses exploration activities, aiming to be an alternative and reliable source of natural gas for the EU,” President Christodoulides stated.

ExxonMobil had previously indicated in late 2024 that it would start drilling in January 2025, targeting natural gas in the offshore region.

“We’ve spent the last two years collecting very detailed, three-dimensional seismic data … We’ve identified several large prospects, and the next stage is to bring in a drilling rig and to test those,” John Ardill, Vice-president for global exploration at ExxonMobil, told Reuters in November.

“There is huge potential for gas exploration,” Ardill said, adding that Exxon sees the Electra prospect as “highly promising.”