BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 18
By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:
Iraq is ahead of Iran in oil production among OPEC member-states, Farshad Alihani, deputy director of the research department of the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum, said.
“Iran could not protect itself for various reasons in the field of export volume [as a result of the US sanctions],” Alihani added, Trend reports referring to Mehr news agency.
The deputy director added that significant contracts on oil fields research were signed among the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum and various universities.
“Iranian universities have not paid much attention to the development of oil fields up till now,” Alihani added. “The risks in the field of research must be accepted. The steps must be taken to establish a real connection between the research and the oil production.”
“Presently, the relations are being established among the Iranian main oil companies, universities, scientific and technology centers,” the deputy director said.
“There are available investments in Iran and they should be spent for new and emerging ideas in the oil industry,” Alihani added.
Presently, Iran has 836.4 billion barrels of liquid hydrocarbon (crude oil and gas condensate) and about 34 trillion cubic meters of gas. In general, Iran with its hydrocarbon reserves ranks first in the world. By using technology equipment, Iran may produce 239 billion barrels.
That is, Iran may use 29 percent while 71 percent remain unused. Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum has four main companies.
Among these companies are the National Iranian Oil Company, the National Iranian Gas Company, the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company and Iran’s National Petrochemical Company.
Moreover, the US imposed sanctions on Iran in November 2018. Iran faced some problems with oil production, export and oil equipment as a result of the sanctions. Iran is taking steps to resolve the problems in oil sector.
Iran has the plans related to the oil production, oil refining and conversion of oil into finished products and not to export crude oil.