Mostafa Nakhaei, a member of the parliament's Energy Committee, praised the ministry's performance in gathering associated petroleum gas, calling it the strongest sector in the ministry during the first year of the development plan.

The projects prevent the loss of national wealth and help protect the environment, Nakhaei said.

He stressed the need to rely on domestic capabilities to collect the gas, saying that achieving economic growth, increasing oil and gas production and meeting energy sector goals depend on domestic expertise and a specialized workforce.

Nakhaei said the Oil Ministry has performed acceptably, particularly in using the capacity of the private sector.

Accelerating the collection of associated gas will undoubtedly increase added value by completing the hydrocarbon products value chain, he said.