The National Iranian Oil Company's Exploration Department has discovered 73hydrocarbon fields during the last 40 years, of which 24 are shared with Arab neighbors, head of department said.
"In-place crude and gas condensates reserves are estimated at 228 billion barrels, most of which has been discovered over the last four decades," Seyyed Saleh Hendi was quoted as saying by Shana on Friday.
Proven gas reserves are close to 33 trillion cubic meters, making it the world’s biggest natural gas reserve.
There are 184 hydrocarbon fields in Iran, consisting of 390 reserves, of which 171 are either developed or being developed with 209 deposits yet to be tapped.
Referring to the momentum of finding new hydrocarbon reserves, he said 98% of extracted oil and gas has been replaced with newly-discovered fields.
NIOC's exploratory activities cover less than 60% of the country's geographic area and the rest has never been surveyed.
The company recently discovered oil in southwestern Khuzestan region for the first time at a depth of 3,570 meters.
"Iran's hydrocarbon reserves will last 155 years," Houtan Salari, a NIOC deputy told Shana.
Referring to a recent World Bank report, he said Iran holds the fifth largest hydrocarbon reserves in the world. According to the United States Geological Survey Organization, Iran, after Iraq and Russia, ranks third in term of undiscovered reserves.
