TEHRAN - The Chief Executive Officer of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) announced that Iran has secured the top global ranking for natural gas discoveries, following major finds in the country’s southern regions.
 Hamid Bouard reported that the combined discovery of 17.5 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas across the “Takhteh” field in southern Fars province and the “Pazen” field represents the largest volume of gas discovered worldwide since 2025. This achievement places NIOC at the forefront of global gas exploration within this timeframe.
Bouard detailed that drilling operations at the Takhteh gas field successfully yielded 7.5 Tcf of gas-in-place and 5.5 Tcf of recoverable gas reserves. He noted that these exploration activities proceeded without interruption, even amid the heightened regional conflict during the 12-day war and the Ramadhan military escalation.
Looking ahead, the NIOC chief outlined strategic plans to address national energy imbalances by deploying additional exploration rigs and expanding seismic projects.
He stated that exploration management will increasingly focus on the northeastern, northern, and northwestern provinces to leverage the country’s diverse hydrocarbon potential and unlock new domestic supply streams.