Havana, April 4 (RHC)-- Cuba is making progress in the drilling of what will become the deepest horizontal oil well in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is located on the north coast, it has already advanced 6 kilometers and should reach a record of more than 8.2 kilometers, reports Juventud Rebelde daily.

The works in the 'Varadero Oeste 1008', extended reach well with reserves estimated at 11,000 million barrels, is being fully funded and directed by Cuba, which has opted for this technology to 'exploit from the coast the oil that lies under the sea”, said the newspaper.

The 3,000 horsepower derrick is 58 meters high and, and was leased to the Chinese company Great Wall, according to an AFP note.

The drilling began on December 28, 2016 in Boca de Camarioca, Matanzas, and has been complex 'for the geology of the underground rock,' explained the director general of the state Oil Drilling and Extraction Company of the Center (Epep-C), Marcos Antonio Pestana.

'The drilling always imposes new challenges and at the moment we are drilling six wells, and this is a great promise for the production of the company and the country,' said Pestana.

Since last January, the company's operations extended to the area of ​​Ciego de Ávila.

In Cuba the first oil extended reach well was the 'Varadero 1000' and there are currently nine open with this technology on the island.

The Cuban energy system depends almost entirely on oil, although work is being done to migrate towards sources of clean energy.