An Iranian research vessel has started exploration of the Caspian Sea’s southern shelf, national media reported on MondayThe work, which will continue until year-end, is aimed at identifying potential routes for an oil pipeline and fiber-optic cables, the Mehr news agency reported.The research will cover about 1,000 square kilometers in waters 500 meters deep.Iran and a South Korean company recently signed a contract to construct a 1,680-kilometer overland pipeline to transport oil from the Caspian Sea to the Gulf of Oman.The pipeline, which will transport crude from the port of Neka in northern Iran to the port of Jask in the south of the country, is worth an estimated $3.3 to 3.7 billion.