The “Scarabeo 9” oil rig arrived in the Caribbean island country of Trinidad and Tobago on December 24, where it is undergoing an inspection before leaving for Cuba this coming weekend, reported the Café Fuerte website. The platform, owned by the Italian company Eni S.p.A., was constructed in Shanghai at a cost of US $750 million. Once it arrives in Cuban waters it will be positioned in the deep waters of the island’s Special Economic Zone during the first half of this month. According to Café Fuerte, the Spanish oil and gas company Repsol contracted the first block to be drilled for exploration — known as El Jagüey — located to the northwest of Havana, though achieving full-scale production could take up to five years. The US Geological Survey estimates as much as 4 million barrels in oil reserves off the coast of Cuba.