TEHRAN, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- A working group was established to evaluate the resource potential of two new natural gas fields discovered in Iran, a deputy oil minister said.
Mohsen Khojasteh-Mehr, a deputy oil minister, was quoted by the semiofficial Mehr News Agency as saying a team was preparing to assess new reserves in the energy-rich country.
"Currently, a working group made up of experts from the National Iranian Oil Company and Oil Ministry's planning (department) have embarked on studying the oil and gas reserves of each one of the country's hydrocarbon fields," he said.
Little information was revealed regarding the potential or location of the deposits, though the deputy official said an announcement would be made on the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, which is Feb. 1.
The National Iranian Oil Co. announced in late 2010 that it was gearing up for increased exploration activity during the next five years.
Iran is limited in its export potential by economic sanctions targeting the country's energy sector. The U.S. Energy Information Agency puts Iran at the No. 2 spot in terms of global natural gas supplies and No. 3 in terms of oil reserves.
