Shafaq News – Ilam

On Thursday, Iran launched seismic surveying operations to explore oil and gas reserves in the Chardavel mountain range in Ilam province, near the Iraqi border, according to the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). 

During a field visit to the site alongside the governor of Ilam, NIOC’s Director of Exploration, Mohiuddin Jafari, described the effort as the first phase of a broader project aimed at identifying potential hydrocarbon-bearing geological formations in the region.

Jafari noted that the project covers an area of approximately 1,500 square kilometers within Ilam province, indicating that engineers are carrying out around 2,000 seismic detonations at each operational point to gather accurate subsurface data.

He also reported that oil and gas exploration activities are currently underway in 21 provinces across Iran, highlighting Ilam as one of the country’s most promising regions for gas discoveries, where advanced technologies and equipment are being deployed to analyze and process seismic data.

The project forms part of Iran’s national strategy to develop oil and gas fields, aiming to increase energy production capacity and enhance infrastructure in the country’s western region.