Iran will turn from the world's fourth leading exporter of oil to an importer in eight years, according to a special report issued by the Tehran government, which was translated and distributed by the Information Center on Intelligence and Terrorism.
The report cites an eight percent average drop in production a year, coupled with a five percent annual increase in consumption. It also notes a drop in foreign investment in Iranian oil fields, where $4.5 billion a year is needed to maintain its current 2.5 million barrels-a-day output.