October 20, 2007	Saturday	Shawwal 7, 1428

COLOMBO, Oct 19: Sri Lanka is seeking international expertise to conduct seismic surveys off the southern tip of the island in a hunt for new oil deposits, a senior minister said on Friday.

“Initial seismic surveys show that there are prospects for oil deposits in the southern seas and we are calling for international tenders to conduct a two dimensional seismic survey,” Petroleum Minister A. H. M. Fowzie told AFP.

Sri Lanka has also sought international investors to explore oil off its north-western shores.

Seismic surveys conducted by Norway’s TGS Nopec have shown that there was potential for oil and gas in the Cauvery basin off Mannar.—AFP