ATHENS, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Greece will launch a tender

for new gas exploration rights in its southwestern waters on

Friday after an expression of interest by U.S. oil producer

Chevron ( CVX ), the Greek energy minister said.

Chevron ( CVX ) submitted its non-binding interest to explore for

energy at a deep-sea block south of the Peloponnese peninsula in

the Mediterranean Sea.

"The tender process will start today," Energy Minister

Theodore Skylakakis told Greek radio.

(Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou

Editing by David Goodman

)