In hydrocarbon exploration, for example, site surveys are run over the proposed locations of offshore exploration or appraisal wells.
Eventually, several companies would take a share of the offshore exploration after the fall of the Soviet Union.
American officials came again for talks in August, focusing on offshore exploration and biofuels cooperation.
With its long coastline along the Red Sea, Eritrea has attracted several oil companies interested in offshore exploration.
The superior numbers of the antidrilling forces have led to decades of restrictions on new offshore exploration along much of the nation's coast.
Several other U.S. oil companies also are engaged in offshore exploration, but so far with little success.
Accordingly a huge onshore and offshore exploration and production effort is planned but finance may prove a problem.
Earlier offshore exploration produced disappointing results.
Today, Southeast Asia is some of the most active area of offshore exploration in the world.
We are talking generally about offshore exploration and extraction of hydrocarbons and the best possible level of technical security.