Payam Hassanzadeh
Senior Geochemistry Specialist, Project Manager
National Iranian Oil Company-Exploration Directorate
Payam Hassanzadeh is a seasoned petroleum geochemist with more than 16 years of experience in the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), where he currently serves as a Senior Geochemistry Specialist and Project Manager within the Exploration Directorate. His career is distinguished by deep technical expertise, extensive field and laboratory experience, and significant contributions to hydrocarbon exploration across the Persian Gulf and Iranian sedimentary basins. Payam Hassanzadeh earned his B.Sc. in Petroleum Exploration Engineering from the Petroleum University of Technology, where he graduated among the top students of his cohort. He continued his academic journey at the Amirkabir University of Technology (AUT), completing both his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Petroleum Exploration Engineering with outstanding GPAs. Throughout his academic years, he received numerous honors, including top national exam rankings, competitive scholarships, and selection by TOTAL to attend its prestigious 2008 Summer School in France. His research and professional work span petroleum system analysis, organic geochemistry, reservoir continuity evaluation, basin modeling, and geochemical characterization of hydrocarbon fluids. He has authored or co-authored more than a dozen publications in reputable journals and international conferences, contributing to the scientific understanding of the Zagros Foldbelt, Persian Gulf reservoirs, source rock evaluation, and CO₂–oil interactions. His work often integrates geochemical techniques with reservoir engineering insights, producing practical outcomes for field development and exploration strategy. Within NIOC’s Exploration Directorate, he has played a key role in numerous national-scale projects, including dry-hole analyses, reservoir geochemistry studies, prospect maturation initiatives, and joint research collaborations such as the NIOCEXP–LUKOIL project. As a project manager, he leads studies focused on geochemical analysis of rock and fluid samples as well as exploration prospect evaluation in key regions of the Persian Gulf. His professional development includes advanced training from globally recognized experts, academic institutions, and multinational oil companies. A dedicated member of SPE, EAGE, and AAPG, Payam Hassanzadeh remains actively engaged in the international geoscience community. Beyond his technical background, he is described as hardworking, collaborative, and enthusiastic.
Participates in
TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Primary Energy Supply
Exploring for oil in such challenging reservoirs demands advanced approaches. The combination of reservoir depth and extreme temperature and pressure makes conventional exploration and production techniques less effective or riskier. Therefore detailed geological, geophysical, and geochemical studies are crucial to better understand the subsurface conditions and to accurately identify any possible hydrocarbon presence.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, United Arab Emirates, and Oman have achieved successes in the past two decades, and the results of these studies can illuminate the future prospects for oil discovery in these reservoirs. Drawing on the experiences of Saudi Arabia and Qatar and carefully examining their studies and achievements in this area has led to various detailed studies in Iran, which have confirmed the presence of oil, both onshore and offshore, in the Permo-Triassic horizon. Paleohighs play a crucial role in hydrocarbon systems. These ancient structural highs can control where oil is generated, how it migrates, and where it gets trapped and preserved. Therefore, understanding the trend of paleohighs and the timing of their formation (especially the Qatar-Fars Arch in Iran) in relation to the migration and trapping of oil, has led to the discovery of various oil fields in the Permo-Triassic horizon in Iran. A change in approach and a more complete understanding of previously discovered Permo-Triassic gas reservoirs has also led to a new assessment of the potential for oil rims in previous assumed gas fields. This shift in perspective, from considering deep reservoirs as solely gas-bearing to the possibility of oil presence, has ultimately directed to the discovery of oil horizons in proven gas reservoirs.
Integrated geological studies, combining data from geology, geophysics, geochemistry, and petrophysics have indeed revolutionized oil exploration in challenging deep reservoirs (Permo-Triassic horizon). This multidisciplinary approach helps reduce uncertainties and better characterize reservoirs. For countries like Iran, this opens up new prospects, potentially boosting energy supply and economic benefits. It also encourages future exploration to be more data-driven and precise, improving success rates and resource management.
