Iran to lead Middle East gas expansion
With a focus on developing the South Pars field, Iran is set for a major expansion of natural gas production
The International Energy Agency pulls no punches. In its World Energy Outlook 2017 it states unequivocally: "In our projections, Iran leads gas output growth in the Middle East, adding 150bn cubic metres [a year] to the region's gas supply in the period to 2040." The agency admits that "many uncertainties remain", but goes on to say that the lifting of the main international sanctions and the recent presidential elections have raised the likelihood of the continued development of the super-giant South Pars gasfield, the southern part of which belongs to Qatar and is called the North Field. Even if President Donald Trump imposes fresh sanctions on Iran, the expectation is that European and As

Also in this section
11 July 2025
Equinor and its partners at Norway’s largest oilfield have pulled the trigger on a fresh $1.3b investment that will maintain high output for longer
11 July 2025
Reassessment of the country’s export-facing gas policy coincides with worsening domestic market backdrop
10 July 2025
Without sanctions relief, there is little reason to believe the latest potential attempt at exports from the Russian liquefaction project will be more successful than the one last summer
9 July 2025
Efforts to restructure and boost investment appear to be working, but doubts remain about the plan to almost double crude production by 2030