For the first time, Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi described the distillation method for producing lamp oil in his 9th-century book *Kitab al-Asrar*. Therefore, it is not surprising that we are now tasked with the production and refining of crude oil, as we take pride in our historical contributions to science and the resources of this wealth.

Historically, before the signing of the Treaty of Gulistan in the early 19th century, Iran’s crude oil consumption largely relied on extraction from the Baku fields and its transportation to Rey.

History reveals that during the Achaemenid era (550 BCE), oil was extracted near Susa. From the Sassanid period onwards, oil from Baku’s resources was extracted and exported to various regions. This leads to the conclusion that oil was not an unknown substance to humanity. Up until the Islamic conquests of Iran, Baku, with its sacred fires, was a pilgrimage site for Zoroastrians. To this day, Hindus continue to visit these oil springs in Baku.

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