Omid Shakeri said companies included on the Oil Ministry’s long vendor list must submit a Development and Production Operational Plan (DPOP) before their licenses expire. He said companies or E&P partnerships that fail to submit a plan, or whose plans are not approved by the National Iranian Oil Co. within the specified timeframe, will not be eligible for re-evaluation.

Shakeri said the policy is in line with Articles 4 and 6 of a Cabinet resolution governing the general terms, structure and models of upstream oil and gas contracts, as well as the Oil Ministry’s strategy to make maximum use of the technical and financial capabilities of qualified domestic companies in exploration, development and production projects.

He added that continuous assessments of these capacities are underway at the Oil Ministry’s engineering, research and technology deputy, based on directives from the oil minister.

27 licensed companies listed

Shakeri said planning began earlier this year, in coordination with the National Iranian Oil Co., to launch the fourth round of the call for identifying qualified companies. After the evaluation model was finalized and a public call was issued in June 2025, documents were received from 22 applicants. Following expert reviews by a specialized committee and evaluation working group, the qualifications of three companies and three consortiums were approved.

He said the updated list now includes 27 licensed companies and partnerships. Additional details are available on the website of the deputy for engineering, research and technology at www.doert.mop.ir.

Shakeri said inclusion on the list represents an initial confirmation of a company’s capacity to participate in oil and gas field development and production contracts. He noted that, during project awards, the National Iranian Oil Co. will conduct field-specific technical and specialized evaluations as required.

He said a new round of evaluations is planned in the coming weeks, and interested companies will be able to submit applications and required documentation after the call is published on the Oil Ministry deputy’s website, in accordance with the approved evaluation model and guidelines.