Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 4 / Trend F.Milad/
The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has concluded a contract with the Oil Ministry's Research Center to explore natural gas hydrates in the Oman Sea, NIOC director for exploration affairs Mahmoud Mohaddes said.
Natural gas hydrate is a solid compound in which a large amount of methane is trapped within a crystal structure of water, forming a solid similar to ice.
Mohaddes added that the NIOC has signed deals to carry out exploration operations in 14 oil and gas fields, Shana news agency reported.
Deputy oil minister Mohsen Khojaste-Mehr said that extensive operations are underway to explore new gas deposits across the country which will probably increase the country's proven gas reserves.
The Fifth Five-Year Development Plan (2010-2015) has envisaged boosting the country's gas production by 250 million cubic meters per day to reach 1.4 billion cubic meters per day.
Second to Russia, Iran holds the world's second-largest gas reserves according to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy in June.