During a Wednesday meeting focused on boosting production and addressing imbalances in the Oil Ministry, Pezeshkian stressed the need to accelerate priority projects, particularly those aimed at collecting flared gas, according to a statement from the presidential office.

He emphasized the strategic importance of managing crude oil and natural gas reserves, noting that approximately 50 million cubic meters of associated petroleum gas — worth an estimated $15 million — is flared daily. "The implementation of gas collection projects must not be delayed, not even for a single day," Pezeshkian said.

The president commended recent efforts, including the capture of 9 million cubic meters of associated and flared gas since his administration took office. However, he called for operations to expand to three shifts to address the scale of resource loss.

Pezeshkian highlighted that collecting, processing and selling associated gas could resolve significant financial challenges, calling it a key example of improving efficiency and restructuring the energy sector. Converting flared gas into a sustainable revenue stream would also benefit environmental indicators and reduce pollution, he added.

The president called for stronger interagency coordination between the Oil Ministry and the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade to address obstacles such as foreign currency needs and customs issues. "Any barrier or problem in the implementation of these projects must be immediately identified and resolved," he said. "This process cannot tolerate any delay."

The meeting also reviewed refinery capacity expansion plans, fuel quality improvement programs and energy consumption management policies, with an emphasis on interagency cooperation to achieve goals.