A tender to develop the Azadegan oilfield in the southwestern province of Khouzestan in Iran will be held 'within days', reported Press TV, citing a top government official.  

The much-awaited tender over the lucrative Azadegan oil field, which is believed to hold an in-place oil reserve of about 33.2 billion barrels, can come as early as Friday, said Ali Kardor, the managing director of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).

Invitation letters to submit proposals will be sent to 29 international companies, including British-Dutch energy giant Shell, French oil major Total, China's CNPC, Russia's Lukoil, Indonesia's Pertamina and Austrian oil major OMV, Kardor told Press TV.

The Azadegan field, located in southwest Iran near the border with Iraq, has recoverable resources estimated at about 5.2 billion barrels, he added.