Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) achieved the technology to produce cementing plugs used in deep oil and gas wells breaking the monopoly of American firms in the industry. “The achievement to manufacture the part locally saves hard currency from being spent abroad,” said RIPI’s head of cement plug project, Talat Khalkhali. Plugs are used during cementing operations to help remove dispersed mud (drilling fluid) and mud sheath from the casing inner diameter and minimize the contamination of cement. According to the researcher, the accomplishment was made by reverse engineering of the parts produced by Weatherford and Halliburton after RIPI was delegated by the National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC) to launch the pilot project.