Over one hundred years have passed since the beginning of the oil era in Iran. Today, this black gold has a great role in our country's economy. At first, oil exploration has been a coincidence. However, with application of scientific methods in the field of hydrocarbon exploration, the risk of oil drilling which is predominantly associated with the remarkable costs has been decreased. Organic/Petroleum Geochemistry considers as one of the newest and best sciences in reducing the risk of oil drilling. It is significantly helpful for exploration of hydrocarbon and petroleum basins. Nowadays, Organic/Petroleum Geochemistry and that of corresponding geologic sciences are being used for production, development and management of hydrocarbon reservoirs as well as oil exploration.

The oil-rich Khouzestan province with including most of the oilfields of Iran plays an important role in the country's oil industry. So, the existence of an appropriate scientific research center related to hydrocarbon studies is necessary in this province. In this way, the Petroleum Geology and Geochemistry Research Center (PGGRC) of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz (Khouzestan province) was founded under supervision of Prof. Dr. Bahram Alizadeh in the Faculty of Earth Sciences. This research center benefits from the high scientific potential and valuable experience of its staff members. Also, PGGRC is ready to provide its diverse services in the field of petroleum studies, especially related to upstream oil industry activities. Petroleum Laboratory of PGGRC, which is equipped with the advanced instruments in the field of organic geochemical studies, considered to be one of the most petroleum laboratory units in the country. Currently, Mr. Seyed Rasoul Seyedali is in charge of the petroleum laboratory of PGGRC.