State-owned Saudi Arabian Oil Co., or Aramco, will soon announce unconventional gas discoveries in the north and northwest of the kingdom, al-Riyadh newspaper reports Wednesday, citing the firm's chief executive.

The company has also started drilling in the Red Sea in shallower areas and will begin drilling in deep water by the end of the year, Khalid al-Falih said, according to the newspaper.

The results of the drilling operations will be announced in 2013, he said.

Earlier this year, Aramco said its gas production averaged 9.9 billion cubic feet per day in 2011 from 9.4 billion cubic feet per day in 2010, while gas reserves rose to 282.6 trillion standard cubic feet from 279 trillion standard cubic feet.

Saudi Aramco is fully owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia . It is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world with activities in exploration, production, refining, distribution, shipping and marketing.

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