Touraj Dehghani, the CEO of the Petroleum Engineering and Development Company (PEDEC), said that no technical problems or leaks had been the case in oil production in West Karoon fields due to the recent devastating flooding in the country.

He said water flow to Hoor al-Azim marshes was taking place without any trouble.

The flooding was Iran’s worst in 70 years, which started on March 19, and has killed at least 76 people, forced more than 220,000 into emergency shelters and caused an estimated $2.5 billion in damage to roads, bridges, homes and farmland.

“Production from a number of wells have been paused due to environmental considerations in the region,” he told a group of visiting reporters in West Karoon operational areas.

“Despite the fact that the wetland is being fed with water at a maximum rate, we are still able to maximize our productivity in the region,” Dehghani noted.

Elsewhere, he said that PEDEC was in talks with Chinese contractors for developing oil projects in North Azadegan and Yadavaran fields.

He said no reports of petroleum leaks or contamination in the wetland had been received so far. “The facilities are monitored continuously."