London-listed oil explorer Afren has hired a corporate finance firm to look into selling its oil fields in Kurdistan and east Africa, leaving the group focused on its main assets in Nigeria, The Sunday Times reported.

Interest in both regions has soared after a string of discoveries, the newspaper said, and both China's Sinopec and U.S. oil company Exxon could be interested in buying the assets, which could fetch up to 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion).



Afren has appointed Steen Associates to look into both a sale and alternative plans, it said.



A spokesman for Afren declined to comment on the report.