Omid Shakeri spoke Friday at the Iran Oil Innovation Event during the 29th International Oil, Gas, Refining & Petrochemical Exhibition (Iran Oil Show 2025).

He noted that the global energy transition has become a key topic at international conferences, with energy-importing countries rapidly moving toward renewable energy development. 

Despite the growth of renewables, fossil fuels still play a decisive role in global energy supply, Shakeri said. For countries like Iran—a producer and exporter of fossil fuels—this period presents a golden opportunity that must be strategically maximized. 

He stressed that Iran’s approach to the energy transition must differ from Europe’s, calling for full-scale investment and technological efforts to optimize fossil fuel extraction and turn these resources into productive national wealth. 

Addressing gas supply constraints for oilfield injection, Shakeri recalled that during his tenure in energy planning at the Oil Ministry, daily demand exceeded 100 million cubic meters of gas, but supply shortages prevented meeting this need. In such conditions, he said, innovation must prevail—relying on advanced methods and technologies rather than limited resources to sustain production. 

Shakeri added that innovation is not limited to technology, noting that business models also need revision. With the government facing financial constraints, he said, attractive investment frameworks must be designed to facilitate private-sector participation in oil projects. 

Reiterating the oil minister’s focus on private-sector collaboration, Shakeri said the Oil Ministry’s priority in this new phase is to develop innovative economic models and boost investment appeal for non-government actors in the oil industry.