Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad told Shana on Monday that measures taken across the oil industry are boosting national gas output and processing capacity. He was speaking after a one-day visit to Assaluyeh and Jam, where he inspected the South Pars 13A platform.

Paknejad said the platform had been effectively out of service for about 10 years after being struck by a vessel, but structural problems have now been resolved through the efforts of the Pars Oil and Gas Company.

He added that in-field wells are currently being drilled in stages, and bringing them online will strengthen upstream gas production.

Referring to the reopening of a damaged processing train at the Fajr Jam Gas Refinery, Paknejad said the unit was hit in June but was returned to operation within six months by staff of the National Iranian Gas Company and the refinery, calling it a significant achievement.

With the restart of the unit, he said, the country’s gas processing capacity has increased by about 13 million cubic meters per day.

Paknejad also said he reviewed reconstruction work on a damaged train at Phase 14 of the South Pars refinery, noting that the project has made strong technical and operational progress and is expected to return to service on an accelerated timeline.

He further said he visited the Kangan petro-refining complex, a subsidiary of the Ahdaf Investment Company, describing it as an active and profitable operation with stable production.

However, Paknejad said additional investment is needed in the sector, adding that efforts are underway to remove investment barriers and resolve existing challenges.