"We can produce all the items needed for the (oil) industry inside the country and cut our needs to the foreign counties through relying on the ability and knowledge of local experts," Qassemi said in a message to the opening ceremony of the third exhibition of oil, gas and petrochemicals in Iran's Southwestern city of Ahvaz, the provincial capital city of Khuzestan province.
He added that increasing production of crude and natural gas and products and reaching self-sufficiency in the production of knowledge, technique and necessary items and equipment are his ministry's priorities.
Earlier, a senior Iranian gas official had said that Iran is able to produce and supply all the parts needed for its gas refineries.
Speaking to reporters in Iran's Southern port city of Assalouyeh, Director for Coordination and Supervision of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Mehdi Jamshidi Dana said that the company has implemented several projects to maintain self-sufficiency in the production of the parts needed for its gas refineries.
He said that establishment of a data bank for spare parts and chemical materials, a data bank of the local resources of parts for gas refineries, the technical features and specifications of the needed spare parts and setting up of self-sufficiency committees are among the projects implemented for reaching and maintaining self sufficiency.
Jamshidi Dana further announced that 160 projects are currently underway in the country's gas refineries in a bid to increase production capacity and boost stability in gas production.
Iran has the world's second-largest reserves of natural gas (15% of the world's total).
Iran possesses roughly 10 percent of the world's total proven petroleum reserves as well.