Mohsen Paknejad told a meeting of senior petroleum ministry officials
that the ministry would honour its commitments through the end of the 14th
administration, stressing the need to accelerate enforcement of Article 15,
clause (b), of the development plan.
Paknejad said the oil sector was viewed by policymakers as the “front
line” of Iran’s economic strategy, adding that expectations were high for the
ministry to help drive growth despite structural and financial challenges.
“The Seventh Development Plan is the covenant of the 14th
administration,” he said, according to state media. “We must focus our time and
energy on implementing it to smooth the path of national development and
economic expansion.”
He said the National Iranian Oil Company had the technical,
engineering and legal capacity to design robust contracts under Article 15 that
would safeguard state interests while allowing greater participation by
qualified private companies.
Paknejad said proper contract design was essential to ensure
competitiveness and prevent the entry of underperforming firms, while
ultimately benefiting the national oil company.
Under clause (b) of Article 15 of the Seventh Development Plan, the Petroleum
Ministry is required to use competitive mechanisms to assign exploration,
development and production activities in oil and gas fields – particularly
shared and gas fields – to qualified companies, without transferring ownership
or sovereignty. The law targets offering at least 2% of Iran’s oil production
capacity to non-state operators by the end of the third year of the plan and at
least 5% by the end of the programme, with a higher threshold set for gas
production.
Paknejad said greater private sector involvement could also help
attract skilled young professionals who lacked opportunities in the public
sector, strengthening motivation and capacity across the industry.
He said the ministry would continue to monitor progress closely and
called for the preparation of a clear roadmap to ensure full implementation of
Article 15.