Drilling for oil in July

An oil rig

Subhashini SENANAYAKE

Drilling for oil in the Mannar basin will commence in July this year, said the Petroleum Industries Ministry.

Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha said that the Cairn Company which conducted experiment connected with oil excavation had confirmed the date after their oil experiments.

The Minister said that the Petroleum Research Institute was engaged in this project and the company had expressed its belief that there is oil in Sri Lanka seas.

The Cairn Company has already spent US $ 110 million on oil exploration experiments.