TEHRAN -- Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that the great achievements of domestic experts in the development of South Pars Gas Field have thwarted America's sanctions against Iran.

Zanganeh, who conferred on Monday with Majlis Speaker Mehdi Karrubi, said that the confidence and faith of Iranian experts brought to nil the pressure which America imposed against Iran and resulted in failure in the policies adopted by that country to hinder Iran's development.

Pointing to the fact that the tenders for Phases 9 and 10 of the South Pars Gas Field have been completed, he said that implementation of the phases would begin in the Iranian month of Khordad (May-June).

He said that contracts for the implementation of Phases 1 to 8 of the field have already been concluded amounting to between $7.5 and $8 billion in direct investment.

He stressed that according to the contracts concluded with foreign contractors, over $3 billion of the project amount is to be awarded by the contractors to Iranian experts who will participate in the development of the gas field.