IRAN has recorded the world’s largest volume of newly discovered gas since 2025, with combined discoveries at the Takht and Pazan gas fields reaching 17.5 trillion cubic feet.
This is according to a report on Thursday by TV BRICS, a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) partner.
The figure covers gas discovered at the two fields since the beginning of 2025.
The Takht gas field, located in southern Fars Province in southern Iran, accounts for 7.5 trillion cubic feet of gas in place, of which 5.5 trillion cubic feet is estimated to be recoverable.
Iran, which has faced war with the United States since February 2026, plans to expand exploration activities in view of the country’s hydrocarbon potential. According to officials, part of Iran’s exploration capacity will be focused on the country’s north-eastern, northern and north-western regions.
The ICIR reports that the discoveries put Iran ahead of other countries in the volume of newly discovered gas recorded during the period, according to Iranian officials.
Iran is already the world’s second-largest holder of proved natural gas reserves, with an estimated 1,200 trillion cubic feet as of December 2023, according to the US Energy Information Administration. The country accounted for about 16 per cent of global proved natural gas reserves and was the world’s third-largest dry natural gas producer in 2022.
Much of Iran’s natural gas production comes from fields in the south, including the giant South Pars field in the Persian Gulf. South Pars is the Iranian portion of a larger offshore gas field that extends into Qatar, where it is known as the North Field. The field is Iran’s largest gas field and accounts for a substantial share of the country’s natural gas production.
The latest discoveries, however, do not mean that the entire 17.5 trillion cubic feet can immediately be produced. Gas in place refers to the total volume of gas contained in a reservoir, while recoverable gas is the portion that can potentially be extracted. The amount ultimately recovered depends on factors including the geology of the reservoir, available technology, infrastructure and the economics of developing the field.
Despite its vast reserves, Iran faces challenges in developing some of its gas resources. International sanctions have restricted access to foreign investment, financing and some advanced energy technologies, while much of the country’s gas production is consumed domestically.
(TV BRICS/NAN)
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M