Iran has invited national and international companies to tender for developing eight oil blocs in the Persian Gulf, IRNA reported from Tehran on Monday quoting the local press.

The Persian-language newspaper 'Iran' reported that the development of oil fields namely Bushehr, Iran Mehr, Deir, Hamoun, Alvand, Forouz, Tosan and Lark are being put out to tender.

Iran wrote that the measure has been taken within the government policy to implement and complete oil exploration projects, stressing that the projects are expected to increase Iran's oil reserves by at least two billion barrels.

The daily further stressed that Iran has so far implemented several joint oil exploration projects with international companies. These projects, it added, include the exploration of Dasht-e Azadegan field in cooperation with Norway's Norsk Hydro, the exploration of Northern Persian Gulf in cooperation with Total, and surveying the Hormoz Strait in cooperation with Statoil.