TEHRAN – Necessary measures for containing the coronavirus (Covid-19) in the Iranian oil industry’s operational areas were explored in a meeting on Tuesday, attended by the Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh and the Head of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Masoud Karbasian.

As reported by Shana, in the meeting Zanganeh discussed ways of preventing the spread of coronavirus in the oil, gas, refining and petrochemical operational areas with his deputies and managers of operating companies via videoconference.

According to Zanganeh, the meeting was held to underline the importance of the oil industry staff’s health and safety, and also to prevent any disruption in the country’s oil, gas and petrochemical production and maintaining the performance of the country's refineries at their best.

He pointed out that commuting in the operational areas of the oil industry should be highly controlled, saying: “Access to the operational areas must be highly restricted by the oil industry safety guards, of course in coordination with the local people.”

Managing Director of Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) Mohammad Meshkinfam, Managing Director of National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Hassan Montazer Torbati, Alireza Sadeq-Abadi, the managing director of National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC), and Managing Director of Iranian Oil Terminals Company (IOTC) Pirouz Mousavi, as well as Head of Iranian Offshore Oil Company (IOOC) Alireza Salmanzadeh were among the officials who were attending the meeting via video conference.

At the end of the meeting, the officials emphasized that the priority of the country’s oil industry is maintaining the health and safety of employees and increasing the level of health services in order to prevent the spread of the virus and contain it.

Earlier on Monday, head of National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC) had also said that despite the coronavirus outbreak, all operations in the country’s oil and gas rigs are ongoing in full compliance with safety and healthcare standards.

EF/MA