KIEV, March 29 - International oil and gas company Shell hopes Ukraine will announce an open tender to select an investor for the development of hydrocarbon reserves under a production sharing agreement (PSA) soon, noting the delay in its preparation.

"The government has the ball. We have formulated specific proposals and are asking for a transparent tender. I cautiously hope that such tenders will be announced by summer," Shell Ukraine Director General Patrick van Daele said at the Economist conference in Kiev on Tuesday.