UK-based Ocean Infinity has signed a “no find, no fee” contract with the Malaysian government to search about 15,000 square kilometres of the ocean about 1500km off the coast of Perth.

The new search is much more focused and targeted than previous searches, which have covered about 200,000 square kilometres.

It’s understood Ocean Infinity’s search vessel, the Armada, will additionally pay extra attention to four hotspots.

But the process will be complicated by the topography of the ocean floor, several kilometres below the surface, including underwater cliffs and volcanoes.

Swell in the area is also heavy due to the presence of Cyclone Bianca off the Western Australian coast.

Jurisdiction over any found wreckage, not to mention oversight of the dredging process, is uncertain – including analysis of the black boxes, which would be crucial to understanding what happened to the plane.

MH370 vanished on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board, including six Australians.

Multiple searches have been carried out in the intervening years, with no success.