EDINBURGH, Scotland, May 23 (UPI) -- British energy company Cairn Energy said it was in the initial stages of exploring for oil off the coast of Spain.
Cairn announced it was in the "very early stages of the exploration process" for work in about 1,500 square miles in the Gulf of Valencia, The Guardian newspaper in London reports.
The Scottish energy company said it didn't expect to explore the deep waters off the coast of Spain for at least two more years.
Local officials have complained about the potential for environmental damage off the coast. Though Spain has a small offshore industry that includes supermajors like BP, the country has focused more on renewable energy as Europe moves toward a greener economy.
Greenland police arrested four activists with Greenpeace in September after severe winds and 18-foot waves led authorities to launch a rescue attempt at a Cairn oil rig in arctic waters.
Cairn in an October statement said it was suspending drilling operations near Greenland for the season. It completed two of its planned four wells but yielded no commercial discoveries.
