BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 31. Exploration
activities should be significantly expanded in various parts of
Iran, including the Zagros region, the north, northwest and
northeast of the country, and areas around the Persian Gulf, Acting
CEO of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Farrokh Alikhani
said.
According to Iran's Ministry of Petroleum, he added that
exploration programs should place particular emphasis on hydrogen,
helium and unconventional hydrocarbon resources.
"Exploration is the starting point for developing various
resources and plays an important role in securing the hydrocarbon
reserves the country needs," he said.
Alikhani noted that, based on engineering, geological and
geophysical studies, exploration in the Zagros region is considered
one of the main priorities. Hydrocarbon resources have already been
confirmed in the area, and further studies could lead to the
discovery of new reservoirs.
He cited the identification of gas reservoirs at the Pazan and
Takhteh fields as successful examples of exploration. The discovery
of a combined 17.5 trillion cubic feet (approximately 496 billion
cubic meters) of gas reserves at the two fields amid economic
difficulties, sanctions and international tensions demonstrates
Iran's considerable exploration potential in the oil and gas
sector.
The official also said that Iran had achieved significant
results in discovering gas and gas condensate reserves. He
attributed this success not to a single group, but to cooperation
among domestic and foreign contractors and various organizations in
the oil industry.
"Discovering new oil and gas fields is one of the main
responsibilities of the National Iranian Oil Company. Geological
and geophysical surveys, as well as exploratory drilling, remain a
priority both onshore and offshore.
"In addition to conventional reservoirs, research into
unconventional hydrocarbon resources, including shale oil and gas
and hydrocarbon gases, is part of the country's exploration
program. The discovery and assessment of these resources remain a
focus, with particular attention to their economic viability.
"The National Iranian Oil Company is developing mechanisms for
digital transformation, and artificial intelligence tools should be
used to digitize exploration processes," he said.
Iran has a total of 125 oil fields and 59 gas fields. The
country's total hydrocarbon reserves are estimated at 836 billion
barrels, of which 239 billion barrels are considered recoverable
using available technology. Iran can currently extract around 29%
of its total reserves, while the remaining 71% stays
underground.
