Jordan will next year offer tenders to attract bids for exploration of oil and gas in six areas in the country.

The remarks were made by Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Hala Zawati during the opening of an international energy conference on Monday in Amman, where she said that four local and international companies are currently conducting feasibility studies to produce oil from oil shale in Jordan.

The minister said Jordan is working on diversifying its energy resources including gas, and the work on an oil pipeline from Iraq's Basra to Jordan's Aqaba is expected to start soon.

She said Jordan is also working on developing Al Reisha gas field near the borders with Iraq to increase production.

Meanwhile, Jordan will offer tenders in the second half of 2019 for hydroelectric power plants to be built near some of the country's dams.