Mohsen Paknejad made the remarks Monday on the sidelines of a visit to offshore gas platforms at the South Pars field, thanking oil industry workers active in the area. He described South Pars as the first link in Iran’s gas production, processing, transmission and distribution chain.

Employees of Pars Oil and Gas Company work around the clock under harsh conditions on offshore platforms to produce gas that is delivered to consumers across the country, Paknejad said, helping keep homes warm, industry running and value added in sectors such as petrochemicals, while meeting other defined gas demand.

He said that over the past roughly 14 months, 13 new wells have been drilled at South Pars, increasing Iran’s raw gas production by about 22 million cubic meters per day. Given current energy supply-demand imbalances, he said, the increase is significant.

Under existing plans, Paknejad added, about four additional wells are expected to come on stream by the end of the current Iranian year, within about two and a half months. With those wells, the total increase in output from South Pars is expected to reach around 30 million cubic meters per day.

Paknejad noted that colder weather across the country has driven up gas consumption in recent days, yet production at South Pars still set a new record, reaching about 725 million cubic meters per day.

He said the figure is unprecedented compared with previous years. Even so, gas imbalances tend to widen during periods of severe cold because falling temperatures sharply increase consumption in the residential, commercial and small industrial sectors, requiring tighter management of other gas uses.

The oil minister concluded by praising the tireless efforts, dedication and sacrifice of operational staff at South Pars, saying he welcomed the opportunity to thank them on behalf of the Iranian people. He noted that many work far from their families and face risks associated with sour gas, yet continue to serve the country without pause.