NPC's Annual Report 2001

http://www.nipc.net/npcg/2001/Special.html

Petrochemical Special Economic Zone

Lying on the northern coast of the Persian Gulf, the Petrochemical Special Economic Zone, also known as Petzone, is Iran’s first specialized zone formed for the development of the country’s petrochemical industry. The zone expands over an area of 2300 hectares in the southern town of Mahshahr in the oil-and-gas rich province of Khuzestan. Being home to several petrochemical facilities, namely Bandar Imam, Razi and Farabi, Mahshahr is already the hub of Iran’s petrochemical industry. In the meantime, 9 great petrochemical and one centralized utility facilities are being built in the Petzone. Once the petrochemical facilities are on track, they will produce 5 million tonnes of various products annually. The zone is divided into five sites. Situated in the northern part of the zone, site No. 1, covering an area of 240 hectares is designated for the private sector light industries and downstream petrochemical plants. Some parts of the site have been set for administrative and civil services as well as commercial centers.

Site No. 2, which expands over an area of 350 hectares, has been allocated to both light and heavy industries. Olefin No. 7, isocyanates and PVC projects will be built in this site. With an area of 260 hectares, Site No. 3 will be home to heavy industries projects. Site No. 4 is exclusively devoted to the NPC’s grassroots development projects. This site covers an area of 200 hectares. Site No. 5 has been set aside for warehouses, tank farms and heavy industries as well.

Petzone is located nearby the Bandar Imam’s port facilities. The port has 37 docks with an annual loading and unloading capacity of 16 million tonnes of cargo. Currently, the zone’s own dock, which has an annual capacity of two million tonnes, is under construction for exporting liquid petrochemicals.

So far, the zone has attracted over $3bn of investment for the petrochemical projects while it potentially can attract over $5bn of investment.

Projects being executed in the Petzone are as follows:　　　　　　　　　　　* Intermediate product

A polypropylene plant contract is awarded to Tecnimont-Nargan
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　http://www.nipc.net/npcnews/news8and9/projects.html

The National Petrochemical Company (NPC) awarded, on September 17, 2000, the contract for a polypropylene (PP) plant of its 7th olefin facility to Italy's Tecnimont SPA. The plant will be built in Bandar Imam, Petrochemical Special Economic Zone (Petzone). The 300 Kt/a homopolymer/copolymer polypropylene plant will be based on the Montel's technology.
The contract calls for the provision of license, basic engineering, supply of equipment and technical assistance.
The plant will be fed by Marun (olefin no. 7) Complex's 1.1m t/y ethylene cracker. Marun Petrochemical Company, which is an NPC subsidiary will implement and
run the project.
Tecnimont's partner, Iran's Nargan will provide the detailed engineering and those pieces of equipment that are manufactured locally. The facility will be supplied within 24 months.

2003/5/21 Asia Chemical Weekly

Iran's NPC to start up engineering polymers project Q3 '03

Iran's National Petrochemical Co (NPC) expects to start up its $198m (Euro170.1m) engineering polymers facility in the Petrochemical Special Economic Zone in the third quarter of 2003 having already completed 93% of the project, according to the NPC's latest news bulletin.

The facility, to be operated by NPC subsidiary Khuzestan Petrochemical Co (KZPC), will produce 25 000 tonne/year of polycarbonate (PC) epoxy resin, 5000 tonne/year of liquid epoxy resin and 5000 tonne/year of solid epoxy resin.

Basic engineering for the project, which is wholly owned by NPC, has been completed by German engineering company Salzgitter which also supplied the technology.

Namvaran of Iran and Noyvallesina of Italy are the detailed engineering & procurement contractors for the project.

The plant will consume 2.5m cubic metres/year of natural gas, 29 000 tonne/year of caustic soda, 1500 tonne/year of hydrochloric acid (HCL), 9500 tonne/year of chlorine, 8000 tonne/year of acetone, 27 000 tonne/year of phenol and 5000 tonne/year of epichlorohydrin. Acetone, phenol and epichlorohydrin will be imported while the remaining raw materials will be produced domestically.

化学工業日報　 2003/8/27

イランＮＰＣ、メタ１００万トン設備が来月末稼働

　イランＮＰＣ（国営石油化学会社）が建設を進めている年産１００万トンのメタノール設備が、９月末に稼働する見通しとなった。このプロジェクトと連動するかたちで、同１５万トンの酢酸設備の建設も進展しており、２００４年末には完成・稼働する計画。ＮＰＣはまた、これに次ぐ世界最大規模のメタノール新設プロジェクトにも着手しており、２００５年までに年産総能力は３４０万トンに拡大、世界市場での展開に弾みがつく見通しだ。

Platts 2004/3/10

Iran Pidek, German Lurgi sign deal for Iran's No 2 methanol plant


Iranian Petrochemical Industries Development and Engineering Co (Pidek) and German Lurgi, signed a Eur160-mil ($196.54) deal for setting up the second methanol project, the official Iranian news agency reported Wednesday.

The plant, with a daily production capacity of 5,000mt, is located at Pars Special Energy Economic Zone in Assalouyeh at the Persian Gulf. South Pars facilities and Mobin Petrochemical Co, affiliated to state-owned National Petrochemical Co, will provide the feedstock for methanol. The project is expected to take two years to complete, IRNA said. The contract includes license, engineering, procurement and technical support.

NPC's Zagros Petrochemical Co is the plant operator. Once onstream, Zagros' methanol production would rise to 10,000mt a day, together with No 4 methanol unit. The No 4 plant has a 1.65-mil mt/yr capacity and would come onstream January 2005. Iran's No 3 methanol plant, with a 1-mil mt/yr capacity, would be operational in the near future. Once all four projects are operational, Iran's methanol output would be 3.4-mil mt/yr.

2003-10-23　ACW

Shell, Basell suspend Iran's Olefins No8 for now
http://www.chemweekly.com/ReadNews.asp?NewsID=919&BigClassName=Companies&BigClassID=25&SmallClassID=43&SpecialID=24

Shell Chemicals and Basell have withdrawn from the Olefins No 8 project in Iran for the time being because of a disagreement over timing, according to Rein Willems, Shell's executive vice president, business and procurement units.

However, Willems has stressed that the exit is not a done deal and that the door to re-enter the project remains open for Shell and Basell, who had originally considered taking a combined 50% stake.

Willems said Iran's National Petrochemical Co (NPC) would pursue the 1m tonne/year cracker project on its own for the time being with the intention of bringing the facility onstream in 2006-07. The project is located at Bandar Imam.

He said Shell and Basell both preferred to start up the project in 2008-09 to avoid the added costs that would be incurred by pursuing the project more rapidly.

One major driver behind NPC's desire to develop the country's petrochemical industry rapidly is to boost overall economic growth. Completion of a study into the project by the Western producers had previously been delayed from end-2002 to Q1 2004.

Willems also says that Shell is due to make a final decision on its joint venture cracker project in Pulau Bukom, Singapore, by early 2005. If this schedule is met, building will begin some time after the fourth quarter of that year, he added.

Shell and Sumitomo signed a letter of intent earlier this year to pursue the project jointly.

This timetable would mean a startup of around 2008-09 for the project, which would centre on a 1m tonne/year cracker.

Shell expects to move to the next stage of its Singapore project feasibility study in Q1 of next year.

Willems also re-affirmed that Shell is examining the construction of a worldscale monoethylene glycol (MEG) plant downstream of the planned Singapore cracker.

He said the did not any more styrene or propylene oxide (PO) in Singapore.

Ellba Eastern, a joint venture between Shell and BASF, brought onstream a styrene monomer/PO (SMPO) plant on Jurong Island, Singapore, in July 2002. It produces 550 000 tonne/year of styrene and 250 000 tonne/year of PO.

In addition, an SMPO plant of similar capacities is part of Shell's joint venture cracker project with CNOOC Petrochemicals Investment in Guangdong, China. The Nanhai project is due to start up at end-2005.

Shell is also understood to be keen on producing phenol downstream of the planned Nanhai cracker.

Platts 2004/3/16

Iran's NPC to start up No 3 aromatics project by mid-2004

Iran's National Petrochemical Co has scheduled to commission its No 3 aromatic complex in Bandar Imam Khomeini by July at the latest, and start commercial operations by October, a company source said Tuesday. NPC had initially scheduled to start up the plant in January this year. According to the source, construction at the No 3 site was already completed for 97%. When finished, the complex would have the capacity to produce 400,000 mt/yr of paraxylene, 180,000 mt/yr of benzene, as well as 30,000 mt/yr of orthoxylene.

2004/04/12 　東洋エンジニアリング/千代田化工建設

ＴＥＣ・千代田連合、イランより２基目の大型肥料プラント受注
http://release.nikkei.co.jp/detail.cfm?relID=69384

　東洋エンジニアリング株式会社（ＴＥＣ、取締役社長　広瀬俊彦）、千代田化工建設株式会社（千代田、取締役社長　関誠夫）とイランのエンジニアリング会社ピーデック社（脚注）とのコンソーシャムは、三井物産株式会社の協力を得て、イラン国営石油化学会社（ＮＰＣ）傘下のＰＩＤＭＣＯ社から、バンダル・アサルイエ地区にて計画を進めている同社２基目の、アンモニア日産２，０５０トンと尿素日産３，２５０トンを生産する肥料プラントの、設計および機器資材一式の調達業務を随意契約にて受注いたしました。
　本案件は、サウスパースガス田より生産される天然ガスを原料に世界最大級の肥料プラントを建設するものであり、現在ＴＥＣをリーダーとする３社のコンソーシャムが建設している肥料プラントと同一の設備を隣接地に建設するものです。１基目の肥料プラント建設でのＴＥＣ・千代田・ピーデック３社コンソーシャムによるスムーズなプロジェクト遂行に対する客先の高い信頼と、国際協力銀行によるＮＰＣ向けの輸出金融適用及び日本貿易保険の貿易保険付保が受注に至った大きな要因です。

＜受注概要＞
■客先：ＰＩＤＭＣＯ（Petrochemical Industries Development Management Company)
　　　　　＜イラン国営石油化学会社傘下の会社＞
■建設地：イラン・イスラム共和国南部のバンダル・アサルイエ（Ｂａｎｄａｒ　Ａｓｓａｌｕｙｅｈ）地区
■対象設備：日産２，０５０トン・アンモニアと日産３，２５０トン・尿素の製造設備
　　　　　　　　＜ＴＥＣがアンモニア設備を、千代田が尿素（大粒尿素）設備を担当
　　　　　　　　 　ピーデックは両プラントの詳細設計、現地品の調達を担当＞
■ライセンサー：
　＊　アンモニア：英国・ＭＷケロッグ社、
　＊　尿素：オランダ・スタミカーボン社、ベルギー・ハイドロファーティライザー社
■役務内容：基本設計、詳細設計、機器資材調達、テクニカルアシスタントサービスの一括請負
■プラントの完成：２００６年を予定（注：建設は顧客が現地業者を使い遂行する）
■契約金額：約２５０億円
■ファイナンス：
　今回の国際協力銀行（ＪＢＩＣ）によるイラン国営石油化学会社（ＮＰＣ）向け輸出金融は、従来のようにイラン政府保証を求めず、イランの優良国営企業たるＮＰＣに直接与信する画期的なもの。
■受注の意義：
＊　１基目の肥料プラント建設での当コンソーシャムによるスムーズなプロジェクト遂行に対する客先の高い信頼性から、同規模の設備を入札無しで受注するに至ったこと。
＊　今回の受注は海外大型プロジェクトにおけるＴＥＣ・千代田の協力関係上、３件目の実績となったこと。（イラン向け肥料２件とサハリン２ＬＮＧ）

＜脚注＞
　イラン・ピーデック社：イラン国営石油化学会社（ＮＰＣ）のエンジニアリング会社で、コンソーシャムのイラン側パートナー。ピーデック（ＰＩＤＥＣ）とは　Petrochemical Industries Design and Engineering Companyの略

2004/7/13 三井造船/三井化学

イランＩＰＣ社向け高密度ポリエチレン製造プラントの建設受注・契約調印について

三井造船株式会社（以下「三井造船」。社長：本山登雄）は、三井化学株式会社（以下「三井化学」。社長：中西宏幸）と共同で、三井物産株式会社の協力を得て、イランの　National Petrochemical Company(イラン国営石油公社、以下「ＮＰＣ」。総裁 Mr.M.R.Nematzadeh)の傘下であるILAM Petrochemical Company（以下「ＩＰＣ」。社長：Mr.D.F.Farahani）向け、高密度ポリエチレン製造プラントの建設を受注し、７月１２日に契約を調印しました。

＜契約の内容＞
１．受注プラント: 高密度ポリエチレン(*)製造プラント　年産３０万トン
　　　　　　 　　　　　　　*：包装材料、パイプ及び日用雑貨等の素材として利用される樹脂
２．建設地：イラン国イーラム州イーラム工業団地
３．プロセス：三井化学保有の高密度ポリエチレン製造技術
４．受注総額：約２５０億円
５．契約締結日：2004年7月12日
６．着工：2005年4月（予定）
７．完工：2007年12月（予定）

　本契約は、ＮＰＣグループにとって、初めてのフルターンキーベース(**)の契約であり、欧州・韓国など海外の有力な競争先が商談に参加しましたが、高品質製品の製造に適し、世界各国に多くの技術供与実績を誇る三井化学の技術を、三井造船のポリオレフィンプラント建設に関わる数多くの実績や設計・調達・マネージメント能力が高く評価され、今回の受注に至りました。これにより、三井造船としての高密度ポリエチレン製造プラント建設の受注は、２５件目になります。また、三井化学としての、当該技術供与は４１系列目で、当該技術の世界合計生産能力は年産４５０万トン超となり、その存在感がさらに増すこととなります。

**：製造プラントの設計、機材調達、建設、試運転まで全て行った後に引渡しを行う契約形態。

　プロジェクト遂行にあたって、三井化学は技術を供与し、三井造船は製造プラントの基本設計、機材の調達及び製造プラントの建設指導を行います。なお、三井造船はイラン国内の大手設計会社である Energy Industries Engineering ＆ Design Co.（以下「ＥＩＥＤ」）とコンソーシアムを形成し，ＥＩＥＤ社に対し、イラン国内の機材調達及び製造プラント建設工事を担当させます。

　なお、本プロジェクトには、国際協力銀行による輸出金融の適用と日本貿易保険の貿易保険の付保を予定しています。

　現在、イランでは、高密度ポリエチレンをはじめとし、石油化学分野の製造プラント建設が多数計画されており、三井造船は今回の受注を契機に、今後とも同国での受注活動を積極的に展開してまいります。一方、三井化学が保有するポリエチレン、ポリプロピレン製造プロセス技術は、世界的にも極めて高い水準にあると評価されており、今後とも全世界をターゲットに三井化学はライセンス活動を展開してまいります。

Platts　2004/10/21

SABIC-Iran cracker, integrated complex joint venture plan stalls

The proposed joint venture between Saudi Arabia Basic Industries Corp and Iran's National Petrochemical Co, where SABIC was to take a 50% stake in NPC's subsidiary Maroun Petrochemical Co, has reached an impasse, confirmed SABIC's Vice Chairman and CEO, Mohamed Al Mady, Wednesday. "The discussions with NPC have not materialized," Al Mady said, addressing reporters at the K 2004 plastics and rubber exhibition in Dusseldorf, Germany.

There is no guarantee that when SABIC enters into a discussion with its potential partners or to make future investments, that these will go smoothly, he said. In Iran, SABIC was assessing three to four potential JV at one go, as the company was not able to iron out several issues with NPC, it decided to put talks on hold. "We will not take any decision unless it is beneficial for us," he said, declining to elaborate the reasons why the JV plans were shelved for the moment.

2006/4/27 Platts

Linde, Hyundai say no financial loss from canceled Iran project

Germany's engineering company Linde and South Korea's Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co have both confirmed the decision by Iranian authorities to cancel foreign companies' role in Iran's Olefin 11 project at Pars Special Economic Zone, in favor of local contractors, according to company sources this week.
Iran on Monday announced it was canceling contracts with Linde, Hyundai and France's Technip totaling Eur960 million ($1.19 billion) for engineering work related to the construction of the 2.4 million mt/year ethylene cracker.
Of that amount, Linde and Hyundai had been awarded contracts worth Eur404 million and Eur451 million respectively, while Technip had been awarded the balance Eur105 million.
"It's true unfortunately, but there has been no financial damage (to us) arising from it (the decision)," a source at Linde said. "We have already been paid for the pre-engineering work we have carried out so far," the source said. "Olefin 11 was our biggest project in Iran, but we are not dependent on Iran (alone)," the source added.
A source at Hyundai also said that there has been no financial loss due to the canceled contract. "But we are concerned that the aborted deal may damage the image of our company."
Technip declined to comment on this issue.
The Olefin 11 project would now be implemented by Iran's National Petrochemical Company and domestic contractors with Eur260 million worth of savings, Asghar Ebrahimi-Asl, NPC's managing director had said Monday. He added that the project's risk would be reduced by awarding the contract to Iranian contractors.

Platts 2006/8/2

Venezuela's Pequiven signs information share agreement with Iran

Venezuela's state petrochemical company Pequiven has inked an agreement with Iran's NPC to share information and specialists from their respective petrochemical industries, a Pequiven spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Venezuela sent the first 16 Pequiven workers to Iran to work with Iranian petrochemical specialists under the agreement, and the workers met with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and Iranian president Mahmud Ahmadineyad as they signed the agreement last week.

Pequiven and Iran also expect to begin construction in September on a technical school in Moron, Venezuela, that was outlined in a previous agreement with Iran and will train Venezuelan petrochemical workers, the spokeswoman said.

NPC will help train Pequiven's personnel to assist the company in its effort to make Venezuela "a worldwide petrochemical power" under its 2006-2012 business plan, a Pequiven statement noted.

The deal to share information and specialists was signed in Iran last week during a visit by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as part of his two-week world tour. Also during Chavez's tour, Pequiven agreed to study the purchase of potassium chloride from a company in Belarus and Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez signed an agreement for economic and technical cooperation on
petrochemical projects with Belarus.

November 26, 2006 Islamic Republic News Agency

First private petrochemical complex due to come on stream

Platts 2007/1/25

Iran's Parsphenol to start building new phe-ace plant this year

Iran's Parsphenol, a privately owned company, is aiming to start construction works on its planned 200,000 mt/year phenol-acetone plant by this year, Hossein Yazdizadeh, president of Parsphenol said. Meanwhile, the pre-commissioning and start-up of the company's phenol-acetone plant was scheduled to be in 2010.
According to Yazdizadeh, Parsphenol had already completed a full feasibility study for its phenol-acetone plant, which included market analysis and technical evaluation. The total capital investment in the plant was valued at around $250 million.
Yazdizadeh added that the bulk of Parsphenol's production would be exported out of Iran, with specific focus on the Middle East and other Asian countries.
Yazdizadeh explained that Parsphenol's concentration on the Asian region stemmed from the fact that the main growth for bisphenol-A (BPA), phenol's main derivative, would take place in Asia. Research data from Parsphenol showed that in Asia, between the time period 2007 to 2015, 340,000 mt/year of phenol capacity will be added. However, average Asian phenol demand growth during the same period, was expected to be around 400,000 mt/year. This left a phenol shortfall of about 60,000 mt/year in Asia.
Parsphenol's slow progress on this project was also addressed by Yazdizadeh. He pointed out that the most important reason for the project's delay was tied in with Iran's National Petrochemical Company (NPC) holdup in the construction of its "Olefin 12" plant in Assaluyeh. Parsphenol's propylene feedstock was wholly provided by NPC's "olefin 12" plant. Its benzene feedstock would be obtained from NPC's fourth Aromatic (Borzouyeh) plant also located in Assaluyeh.
Yazdizadeh added that Parsphenol was currently in the process of selecting available and reputable companies as ita partner for this project.

2007/4/11 Tehran Times

China eager to invest $2.7b in Olefin 12: NPC

National Petrochemical Company (NPC) Managing Director Gholam-Hossein Nejabat here Tuesday said that China was keen to make a 2.7 billion dollar investment in Olefin 12 plan in Iran.

Talking after an East Asia-Pacific states forum, he said the Iranian and Chinese officials held new round of negotiations, whose main topics revolved around a 2.7 billion dollar investment in Olefin 12 plan and investment in downstream and upstream oil projects in Iran. Nejabat said, “China is the first country the Iranian party will pay a visit to hold official talks.”

According to the NPC chief, the company’s output in the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2007) will reach 23 million tons.

“To this end, Iran’s presence in foreign countries with the aim of doing marketing of petrochemical products plays a determining role,” he added. The port of Hong Kong was one of the world’s main markets for selling petrochemical products, said the official, adding, “We plan to have a strong presence in all fields related to trade and investment in the port.”

Nejabat said NPC would welcome foreign investments in the petrochemical sector, adding the company was determined to boost its economic cooperation with foreign countries through improving relations with Iranian ambassadors abroad.

He said Iran was holding talks with overseas enterprises on implementation of petrochemical projects worth 9.4 billion dollars. “Most of negotiations have resulted in signing memoranda of understanding and establishing companies. We are also active in every sector that has the capacity to export technical and engineering services.”

The managing director said scores of projects, including Arya Sassol Petrochemical Complex with an annual one million ton ethylene production capacity and Mehr Petrochemical Complex aiming to produce heavy polyethylene, were under construction in collaboration with investors from South Africa, Thailand, and Japan.

“NPC has also made investments in the Philippines and India; and has outlined a host of plans to have a strong presence in Venezuela, Oman, and Uzbekistan,” he revealed.

Shifting to the development of petrochemical industry in the eastern, western, and central parts of the country, Nejabat expressed hope the company would manage to build a complex in each province as President Mahmud Ahmadinejad had already ordered. “Iran accounts for 12 percent of the Middle East’s petrochemical products and 0.7 percent of the world production,” said the deputy minister, adding, “The 20-year Outlook Plan has targeted 34 percent share of the Middle East and 6.2 percent of the international output.” The official said a 50 billion dollar fund would be needed for achieving the objectives of the Outlook Plan, adding, “We invest 12.5 billion dollars in each Five-Year Economic Development Plan and the total investment in the four plans amounts to 50 billion dollars.”

Pointing to the parliament’s approval on removal of subsidies on petrochemical products, Nejabat argued that the measure would make the petrochemical market sound.

The Fourth Development Plan had allocated 12.5 billion dollars for petrochemical projects, said the ranking official, adding the projects were underway according to the Fourth Plan.

The NPC predicted that 35 petrochemical projects would come on stream by the end of Iranian calendar year 1393 (March 20, 2015).

Iran is the second largest petrochemical producer in the Persian Gulf littoral states, standing after Saudi Arabia, and will retain its position until 2010.

The inauguration of the projects in question by 2015 will considerably promote its status not only in the Persian Gulf region, but in the world.

Apr14 2007 　　

Iranians in China for oil project
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=6055&sectionid=351020103

Iran will send a top-level delegation to China to continue talks with the Sinopec Corp. over developing the Yadavaran Oilfield in south Iran.

Experts from the Petroleum Engineering and Development Company (PEDEC) and the head of legal affairs at the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) will travel to China to continue talks, PEDEC's managing director said.

Mehdi Bazargan noted that Iran and China have so far held several rounds of negotiations over the field, which have brought views closer. "However, it is premature to comment on the outcome of the talks," he added.

Bazargan did not specify an exact date for the Iranians trip to China.

Meanwhile, Iran's Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh, on the sideline of a Gas Exporting Countries Forum meeting in Qatar, has said that Iran and China are close to a deal over the Yadavaran Oilfield.

Also, Chen Tonghai, the president of the China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation, known as Sinopec, has said the company is in talks on providing engineering services to the Yadavaran field.

The state-owned Sinopec Group was not looking for an equity stake in the Yadavaran field, but if a deal is reached it would share profits from the field once it begins production, he told reporters during a news conference in Hong Kong following the release of the company's 2006 financial results.

"The negotiations (of an engineering contract) are underway, but it's very complicated," Chen said.

Sinopec and NIOC signed a memorandum of understanding in October 2004, which allows the Chinese to buy $100b of oil and gas from Iran over 25 years. It also covers the purchase of 150,000 bpd of crude at the market rate.

The Yadavaran Oilfield is estimated to have 17 billion barrels of reserves and production is to reach 300,000 bpd in two phases.

PEDEC is a subsidiary of the NIOC.

May 01, 2007 　　http://www.shana.ir

NPC CHIEF:Iran to Invest Over $12bn in Petrochemical Sector

The managing director of National Petrochemical Company (NPC) said Iran would make a 12.3 billion dollar investment in the sector in the Fifth Five-Year Socioeconomic Development Plan (2010-2015).

Gholam-Hossein Nejabat said his company would invest the huge sum in 27 petrochemical projects during the Fifth Plan, out of which 9.2 billion dollars would be funded by hard currencies.

“The investment helps the sector increase the petrochemical out by 33.7 million tons during the plan,” predicted the official.

Nejabat said 24 petrochemical projects with a 14.8 billion dollar fund had been included in the Fourth Five-Year Development Plan (2005-2010), with some becoming operational.

The NPC head said 13 petrochemical projects would come on stream in the current year, adding three of them were ready for inauguration.
　2007/4/12　「イランで本年度 11計画が生産開始」　

“At present, Iran accounts for 12 percent of the Middle East’s petrochemical output, valued at 25 billion dollars, and the share will touch 34 percent by the end of 20-year Outlook Plan, 2015,” said Nejabat.

“The country’s world share is 0.9 percent, which is predicted to reach 6.3 percent by 2015.

“According to the Fifth Plan, Iran’s annual 55 million ton production will soar to 158 million tons per annum.”

Petrochemical products accounted for the highest share of non-oil goods Iran exported in the past Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2006 to March 20, 2007).

Totally 42.2 percent of the weight and 38.6 percent of the value of exported non-oil products belonged to petrochemicals.

The country exported 14,236,800 tons of petrochemical products, valued at 6.11 billion dollars, during the yearlong period, showing 115.5 and 140.8 percent increases in terms of weight and worth respectively when compared to those in their preceding year.

According to the Customs Administration, gas liquids (propane, butane), polyethylene, methanol, benzene, and different types of tar were the main petrochemicals exported abroad as they constituted 81 percent of the revenues fetched by petrochemical products.

Iran's petrochemical products have been sold to more than 250 clients from 40 states.

Jul 2, 2007 Reuters

Iran, Venezuela in "axis of unity" against U.S

The presidents of Iran and Venezuela launched construction of a joint petrochemical plant on Monday, strengthening an "axis of unity" between two oil-rich nations staunchly opposed to the United States.

Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who both often rail against Washington, also signed a series of other deals to expand economic cooperation, ranging from setting up a dairy factory in Venezuela to forming an oil company.

"The two countries will united defeat the imperialism of North America," a beaming Chavez told a news conference during an official visit to the Islamic Republic, which the United States has labeled part of an "axis of evil".

"When I come to Iran Washington gets upset," he said.

The two presidents -- whose countries are members of the OPEC oil producing cartel -- earlier attended the ceremony to start building a methanol facility with an annual capacity of 1.65 million tons on the Islamic Republic's Gulf coast.

"Iran and Venezuela -- the axis of unity," read one of many official posters at the site near the port town of Assalouyeh, showing the two leaders hugging each other and shaking hands.

Ahmadinejad -- who came to power two years ago pledging to revive the values of the 1979 Islamic revolution -- hailed the event as a step towards boosting "brotherly" ties of the two "revolutionary" nations. Iran is embroiled in a worsening nuclear standoff with Western powers.

WESTERN "BARBARIANS"
Chavez, who last week pushed two U.S. oil giants out of his country as part of his self-styled socialist revolution, said: "This is the unity of the Persian Gulf and the Caribbean Sea."

Iranian officials said a second methanol plant would be set up in Venezuela. Each would cost about $650 million to $700 million and take four years to complete. Methanol is an alcohol which can be used as a solvent or an element in fuel.

That would help Iran to access the Latin American market, while Venezuela would get closer to buyers in India and Pakistan.

Chavez, who wants to forge an alliance of leftist states to counter U.S. policies, arrived in Tehran on Saturday after visiting Russia and Belarus.

In comments certain to please his hosts, who have often called on the United States to leave Iraq, Chavez branded those invading Iran's neighbor as "barbarians", drawing parallels with the European colonization of Latin America centuries ago.

"Those who try to convince the world that in Iran there are a bunch of barbarians are barbarians themselves."

Iran's hardline Kayhan daily said the two countries were riding on a "global anti-imperialism wave."

But both also face economic challenges.

Iran sits atop the world's second-largest oil and gas reserves, but U.S.-led efforts to isolate it over its nuclear ambitions are hurting investment in the sector, analysts say.

The Islamic state rejects accusations it is seeking to build atom bombs, saying it only aims to generate electricity.

Chavez last week forced U.S. oil majors from Venezuela, seizing oilfields from Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips.

But economists caution his social spending, mainly paid for by state oil company PDVSA, could run into trouble as Venezuela battles to maintain oil output after the exit of the majors. The opposition complain his anti-Americanism scares off investors.

日本経済新聞　2007/7/21

天然ガス供給　イラン、欧州ルート参加　印パとも輸出協議　孤立から脱出狙う

　天然ガス埋蔵量で世界２位のイランが国際供給網の構築を急ぎ始めた。トルコ経由で欧州に通じるパイプラインヘの参加で基本合意したほか、７月末にもパキスタン、インドヘの輸出計画をまとめる。ウラン濃縮の継続で国連や米国の制裁を受けるなか、主要国とエネルギーで関係を深め、国際社会での孤立から抜け出す狙いだ。
　イランのバジリハマネ石油相は１４日、トルコ経由で欧州諸国にガスを供給するナブコパイプライン計画に参加することでトルコ政府と基本合意したと述べた。イランがトルクメニスタンから輸入しているガスの一部を再輸出する分も含めてナブコパイプラインに最大で年間３１０億立方メートルを供給する。イラン政府は詳細を８月までに発表する見通し。
　ナブコパイプラインはトルコからブルガリアなどを経てオーストリアに至る全長３３００キロメートルのガス供給ルートで、総工費は約６３億ドル(約７７００億円)。２０１１年の完成を目指している。トルコ企業が最近開発権を獲得したイラン南
部の南パルスガス田で生産するガスを流す計画とみられる。

　最大で年間５５０億立方メートルのイラン産ガスをインド、パキスタンに輸出する全長２６００キロメートルのパイプライン建設も実現間近だ。総工費は７０億ドル前後。イラン石油公社高官によると、３カ国は７月末にもテヘランで石油相会議を開き、輸送料に上乗せする通過料での合意を目指す。
　イランは近隣のアラブ首長国連邦(UAE)、オマーンともガス輸出で基本合意、価格など細部の詰めを進めている。イランはこれまで、主にトルコ向けに年間５０億立メートル以上のガスを輸出してきた。だが約２７兆立方メートルといわれる埋蔵量の大半は手つかず。輸出網を広げることで、石油輸出の伸び悩みを補う一方、主要国との関係強化を目指す考えだ。
　欧州連合(EU)加盟国はガス輸入量の４割以上をロシアに頼り、調達先の多様化が安全保障上の重要課題だ。イランは欧州にガスを供給することで核開発問題での風当たりの緩和を期待。さらに核兵器保有国で親米のインド、パキスタンにイランの核開発への支持を求める。イランが外交を優位に進める武器として石油とともにガスを利用する方針なのに対し、トルコの米大使館は１６日、「イランをガス供給元として信用しすぎるのは賢明ではない」との声明を出し、けん制した。

September 05, 2007 Jakarta Post

Pusri to build plant in Iran

PT Pupuk Sriwijaya (Pusri), the country's largest fertilizer producer, is scheduled to sign an agreement with an Iranian petrochemical company later this week to help bring to fruition its plan to build a fertilizer plant in Iran.

Iranian ambassador to Indonesia Behrouz Kamalvand said Tuesday that an agreement would be signed between Pusri and National Petrochemical Company International for the construction of the plant, which will be located in Tehran and cost some US$600 million.

Mahmoud R. Radboy, head of the Iranian embassy's economic section, said that the two companies would have equal participating interests in the project

"It is agreed that 50 percent of the production will be dedicated to the Indonesian market and the rest will be sold on the international market, although it is up to the companies to decide which international markets they want to serve," Radboy said.

The gas supply will come from the South Pars gas field, which holds 8 percent of total world gas reserves, via a pipeline at a price of $1 per million British thermal units (mmbtu).

"This lower price is based on President Ahmadinejad's promise to build a solid and good relationship with Indonesia," Radboy said.

Gas prices on the global markets usually range between $3 and $5 per mmbtu.

The plant is slated for completion in 2009.

Meanwhile, regarding with Iran's offer to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the soon-to-be-built LNG-receiving terminal in Cilegon, West Java, Mahmoud said the two governments were still discussing the issue.

"We are still also awaiting the Indonesian government's decision on establishing a consortium for the project."

State power utility PT PLN, which is the operator of the terminal, said recently it would seek LNG supplies from Iran, after a previous agreement for supplies from Qatar collapsed.

PLN director for power generation Ali Herman Ibrahim has said the company will be looking for some 4 million tons of LNG per year.

September 28th 2007 Venezuelanalysis.com

President of Iran Visits Venezuela and Signs Economic Agreements

The President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, arrived in Caracas late Thursday night for a short meeting with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Both leaders emphasized the importance of unity and cooperation in the "fight against U.S.Venezuela and Iran. imperialism" and signed several more bilateral agreements to build joint projects in Venezuela and Iran.

"The Venezuelan and Iranian people, and their leaders, have great responsibilities in the world arena," said the Iranian leader. "Together we can multiply our power and truly no one will be able to defeat us," He assured that a "bright future will belong to the revolutionary nations, and imperialism has no other option but to respect our nations and their sovereignty."

The Venezuelan president responded by calling the Iranian leader a "great anti-imperialist fighter" and stated that his visit to Venezuela was of "great importance."

The two leaders have made significant efforts in recent years to strengthen union and cooperation between their countries. Both countries are member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and are united in their opposition to the government in Washington.

Since President Ahmadinejad was elected in 2005 the two leaders have met on six occasions, both in Iran and in Venezuela, and have signed economic and energy agreements that involve around $17 billion. Most agreements have centered on building joint oil and industrial projects, including petrochemicals, the auto industry, and oil refineries.

On this occasion, the agreements they signed include the installation of nine corn-processing plants in Venezuela with Iranian technology, part of the new initiative of the Venezuelan government to increase the production of corn and corn flour in the country. These plants for processing corn will be placed in corn-producing regions and run by the surrounding communities.

Another of the agreements is for the establishment of an industrial complex for the production of auto parts in the central state of Carabobo. The agreement was signed between the Iranian company Behsazin and the Venezuelan Ministry of Communal Economy with the intention of supplying national industry with nationally produced auto parts.

A third agreement has to do with the petrochemical industry and allows for the construction of two plants for the production of methane gas, one in Iran and the other in Venezuela.

The Iranian President had to leave immediately after the meeting but assured he would be visiting again soon. He apologized for the short visit and promised a longer visit in the future. He promised that Caracas and Tehran would remain in support of "all the revolutionary countries in the world," and mentioned Nicaragua, Cuba, and Bolivia, where he visited immediately before his visit to Venezuela and signed agreements with President Evo Morales.

"Together we will continue to support all the oppressed nations and we will continue resisting imperialism until the end," he declared.

Iranian authorities have said the support Chavez has given to the "peaceful use of the nuclear energy" on the part of the Iranian regime has been "very important" in the struggle against international pressures. Chavez has said on many occasions that all countries, including Venezuela, have the right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful means.

In response to President Ahmadinejad's recent visit to New York and to protests against him there, Chavez assured the Iranian leader that he has Venezuela's support and admiration.

"Here we witnessed once again your great gift of statesmanship, your dignity, your courage. We have all felt truly proud to be your brothers and to share together the path of the revolution, the path of dignity, the path of the struggle against imperialism," he said.

In response to the University of Colombia President Lee Bollinger's statement that the Iranian President is a "small, cruel dictator," Chavez defended the Iranian leader. "Instead of small, you are one of the biggest anti-imperialist fighters of this change of era, said" Chavez. He then congratulated Ahmadinejad for fighting for the "justice that the people of the world desire."