TEHRAN, March 16 (Shana) � Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh said the ministry and its affiliated companies are determined to boost carrying out the development projects in the oil, gas, and petrochemical projects.

�In the year to come and upon removal of the problem of constrained financial resources, expedited development of the oil industry in the joint oil and gas fields shall be followed up, various phases of South Pars and West Karoun joint fields have to come on-stream, and production must start at the Persian Gulf Star Refinery,� he said in a message on Wednesday to mark the advent of new Iranian year (Norouz) on March 20.

�Likewise, closing of contracts for development of the joint fields and enhanced recovery from the country�s major oil fields must be pursued,� read the message in which he also congratulated anniversary of Nationalization of Oil Industry on March 19.

Zangeneh hailed the achievements gained through hard work of the oil industry�s workers including the launching of phases 15 and 16 of the South Pars Gas Field mega project, international marketing of products, attraction of modern technology to upstream and downstream sectors, convention of the GECF summit meeting, winning back Iran�s lost oil export quota, gas export to neighboring countries, and expansion of refinery and joint fields' development projects.

He also welcomed signing of the nuclear deal with world powers, removal of sanctions against Iran, opening of the country�s international relations, and the nation-wide parliamentary elections with the massive popular turnout held in the current Iranian year.

By SHANA