KIEV, Feb. 24 - World??™s major oil companies, including ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco and Shell, submitted bids for a license allowing exploration and extraction of oil and gas offshore Black Sea in Ukraine, an industry executive said Friday.

Ukraine is accepting bids through March 24 to select a company that will invest in the exploration in the Black Sea off-shore area near Kerch, according to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry.