PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) — ExxonMobil signed a deal this week to explore a vast area near Trinidad and Tobago for oil and gas, even as the twin-island nation faces pressure to focus more on green- energy deals.

The search will take place off Trinidad’s east coast, in a region that spans more than 2,700 square miles and is more than 6,500 feet deep, according to government officials.

The deal was signed following six months of negotiations that were held at a record pace, said John Ardill, ExxonMobil’s vice president of global exploration.

There are “no guarantees of success,” Ardill cautioned during a ceremony announcing the deal. “But many of the largest discoveries and developments in the world are occurring in deep-water environments similar to what you have here.”

Ardill said ExxonMobil is committed to starting a geophysical survey in the next six months to collect data needed to identify prospects for oil and gas, after which, it will begin drilling for testing.

Using nearby Guyana as an example, Ardill said it took the country less than five years to start producing oil after the initial discovery. He noted that 10 years after that discovery, Guyana is currently producing around 650,000 barrels of oil per day.

“We see great potential to replicate the Guyana success here,” Ardill told the audience in Trinidad.

While promising to help expedite the process, Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the necessary oversight and guardrails will be in place to ensure standards are not compromised.

The prime minister said the agreement with ExxonMobil provides additional energy security for the Caribbean nation of approximately 1.4 million people.