Ireland will renew talks today with three nations over rights to a massive area of seabed in the north Atlantic.
The latest talks with Britain, Iceland and Denmark on how the disputed Rockall area can be divided will run over two days in the Danish capital, Copenhagen.
The meeting follows failed discussions between the countries last month.
They hope to reach a deal on territorial rights to the vast area - some 422,000sq km or about five times the size of Ireland - and exploit its rich energy reserves.
Under a new United Nations treaty, states will be allowed to claim a greater share of the ocean floor if they can show an undisputed direct link with their own land mass, but they must apply before a 2009 closing date.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, said ahead of the talks: "I hope tomorrow's talks are fruitful but further meetings may well be required before we can strike a deal. Ultimately, it is in the interests of all four countries that we come to an agreement on the issue.
Rockall is around 200 miles from the north west of Ireland, the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland and the southern coast of Iceland.
Denmark is claiming rights to the island and seabed through its dependency the Faroe Islands.
Each of the four countries is keen to safeguard its rights over the rich seabed surrounding the rock - the summit of an eroded volcano core measuring just 19m (62ft) high.
Ireland has already lodged a joint application, along with France, Spain and the United Kingdom, for a 60,000sq km plot straddling the Celtic Sea and the Bay of Biscay.