Hossein Afshin made the remarks on Thursday during the unveiling of the second phase of the Pasargad Well, Reservoir, and Facility Management (WRFM) Center at the I29th International Oil, Gas, Refining & Petrochemical Exhibition (Iran Oil Show 2025). He noted that the first part of the center, focusing on business intelligence, was unveiled last winter.

Afshin stated that the first step of the WRFM’s second phase, which involves developing an artificial intelligence module, was expanded through the efforts of Sharif University, Amirkabir University, and the University of Tehran.

Emphasizing that this infrastructure is at the cutting edge of technology, he added that the platform must be continuously updated, and its AI system further developed.

Afshin highlighted that the second part of the project, launched today, is an upstream oil intelligence assistant. He said the Pasargad Energy Development Group has pledged to inaugurate the country’s first digital refinery in Qeshm next year during the 30th Oil Exhibition.

Stressing Pasargad’s leadership in oil industry digitalization, Afshin said the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology will fully support the initiative, as pioneering efforts require high risk tolerance.

He noted a major transformation in Iran’s oil industry and expressed hope that the third phase and further model development by researchers will continue.

Afshin also mentioned the visit of a special assistant to the Russian president to the WRFM center, who was reportedly surprised by Iran’s technological advancements.

 AI delivers 10-fold return on investment 

At the event, Alireza Sadeqabadi, CEO of Pasargad Energy Development Group, thanked all contributors to the project, noting significant achievements in business intelligence.

He said $10 million was invested in the center, which has already generated $200 million in revenue for the country. The integration of business intelligence and AI, he added, enables wealth creation in Iran.

He emphasized that traditional wealth-generation methods are obsolete, urging the adoption of innovative approaches for revenue growth.