Iran discovers 15 oil, gas layers in 1year

National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Director for Exploration Hormoz Qalavand announced on Wednesday that the country discovered 15 oil and gas deposits in the last Iranian year (ended on March 20, 2012).Speaking to reporters, Qalavand said that NIOC focused its oil and gas exploration activities on border areas last Iranian year, adding that the country found a total number of 15 new oil and gas layers last year.As regards the company\'s plan for the New Year, he said that the NIOC plans to focus on land exploration and drilling in oil-rich regions and the Persian Gulf.He further said Iran will also start its first shale oil and gas exploration project in the country\'s Western regions of Zagros this year (March 21, 2013 - March 20, 2014).Last July, Iranian Oil officials announced that their efforts to identify unconventional hydrocarbon reserves in the country have led to the discovery of some oil shale deposits in the Western parts of the country in the Ghali Kooh region.In December 2012, Iran\'s deputy oil minister said Iran\'s proven crude oil and natural gas reserves are worth around $37 trillion.Iran ranks the third globally in terms of oil reserves while having the world\'s second-largest natural gas reserves after Russia with 34 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves.