11.   To date, exploration efforts have relied on surface drilling.

12.   When oil profits are up companies tend to increase oil exploration efforts.

13.   Exploration efforts will focus on the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo.

14.   Exploration efforts in Burma in the past decade have yielded commercial finds of natural gas, especially offshore, but no significant amounts of oil.

15.   The jockeying comes despite dimmed hopes for a Caspian oil and gas boom over the past year after several exploration efforts turned up dry.