TEHRAN — An official with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) said here on Monday that 23 European and Asian companies have requested to visit information rooms opened for Iran’s new 17 oil blocks.

“This is indicative of welcome by the international oil companies for these blocks.”

Early this month, Iran officially offered 17 new blocks to international petroleum companies during a two-day meeting in Vienna of Austria. Five of the blocks are offshore and the rest are onshore. Iran has opened two rooms to offer information to companies interested in participating in the tenders on the blocks.

Hossein Roshandel, director at the NIOC for exploration said that information rooms have been opened as of February 5 to render details on exploration projects of blocks.

He told the Mehr News Agency that oil giants such as Anglo-Dutch Shell, Norway’s Statoil and Hydro, and Russia’s LukOIL have asked for information.

“The presence of world petroleum giants in indicative of welcome by the international oil companies of Iran’s new blocks,” Roshandel stated.