ATHENS - U.S. oil producer Chevron ( CVX ) has expressed interest for hydrocarbons exploration off the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea, the Greek energy ministry said on Wednesday.

Greece has accepted Chevron's ( CVX ) interest for two blocks south of Crete and will soon decide on the bloc's coordinates and on launching an international tender, the energy ministry said in a statement.

Greece has launched a tender for new gas exploration rights at at another deep-sea block south of the Peloponnese peninsula following an expression of interest by Chevron.