KIEV, April 19 (RIA Novosti) - U.S oil and gas company Vanko International has won a tender to develop a gas deposit on the sea shelf off the Ukrainian part of the Black Sea, a senior Ukrainian official said Wednesday.

Six foreign companies, including British Shell and U.S ExxonMobil, and Ukraine's Ukrneft participated in a tender to develop a large natural gas deposit located near the Kerch peninsula with estimated reserves of 30 billion cubic meters.

Registered in the United States, little is known about Vanko International. The company appears to not even have a website, and no information was forthcoming from the officials who announced the tender.