A Mongolian oil company with ties to North Korea is planning to entice foreign investors in the country’s energy sector by showing them geological data which could indicate the presence of oil and gas resources.

The move could mark the first step towards opening up the DPRK to onshore oil exploration and comes amid declining relations with China, it’s primary fuel supplier.

While there have been some modest attempts to explore North Korea’s onshore potential in the past, very little is currently known about the DPRK’s geology and potential oil and