The national wealth of oil and gas relies on knowledge and Iran is self-sufficient in that area, said Reza Dehghan.

Dehghan said that about 75% of hydrocarbon exploration and 20% of the country's oil exploration have taken place over the past 40 years, adding that Iran stands fourth in oil (with 159 billion barrels) and second in natural gas (with 34 trillion cubic meters) in the world.

Saying that Iran collectively stands first in the world in hydrocarbon resources, he added that there are a lot of hydrocarbon resources in Iran yet to be discovered.

He said the operation in Eram Natural Gas Field, located 200 kilometers out of Shiraz, Fars Province, southern Iran, started last summer and finished after nine months of work.

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