Iran hits crude comeback trail
Crude production has started to creep up in recent months, but much still hinges on the relaxation of US sanctions
The smoke signals of diplomacy over the Mid-East Gulf may be ambiguous, but Iran’s oil ambitions are not. Veteran oil minister Bijan Zanganeh intends 4.5mn bl/d in crude and condensate production and 2.3mn bl/d in exports by the next Iranian year, beginning on 21 March. This depends critically on the relaxation of sanctions—but is the country’s oil industry ready to meet the challenge? The previous period of sanctions, which ended with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), saw production recover from January 2016 much more sharply than many analysts had expected. It was possible to restart fields that had been shut down in a relatively orderly way without suffering damage or deteri
Also in this section
17 July 2025
US downstream sector in key state feels the pain of high costs, an environmental squeeze and the effects of broader market trends
16 July 2025
Crude quality issues are an often understated risk to energy security, highlighted by problems at a key US refinery
15 July 2025
Government consultations on the windfall tax and the exploration licence ban are positive steps, but it is unclear how long it will take for them to yield tangible outcomes
15 July 2025
A brutally honest picture about the potential role of oil and gas in 2050 should prompt policymakers to not only reflect but also change course to meet vital energy needs
