KIEV, April 19 - Vanco Energy Company, a U.S.-based independent oil and gas company, on Wednesday defeated world oil majors, such as ExxonMobil and Shell, to win tender for an offshore exploration and production license in Ukraine.

A special government commission named Vanco the winner of the tender to explore and produce oil and gas in the Kerch area offshore the Black Sea, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Pavlo Ihnatenko said.