Iran, the Key Player of Transition

Abstract

Natural gas as one the most significant fossil fuels, is playing a crucial role in national energy mix in different countries. Nevertheless, its applications have not been limited to energy providing, and has been used widely as the feed stock in production of different varieties of petrochemicals. So that most of new Iranian petrochemical complexes are designed and constructed based on natural gas feed. Natural gas was firstly produced as one of the byproducts of crude oil and mostly was burned. Gradually along with increasing volumes of extracted natural gas, planning on gathering and using associated gas resulted in more usage of natural gas in different sectors including petrochemical feed and fuel. Following the developments, National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) was established in 1965 as one of the subsidiaries of the petroleum ministry with initial capital of 25 million Rials [1]. Since its establishment, NIGC has gradually achieved capabilities and managed to have access to various sources and facilities such as experts and efficient human resources equipped with scientific and theoretical vision and knowledge, tools, equipment, machinery and various advanced workshops for implementing its operations proportionate with the economic and social development trend of the country, so that it can independently accomplish all the related tasks complying with the valid international acceptable standards. Today, NIGC as one of the 4 main subsidiaries of the petroleum ministry is supplying more than 75 percent of total energy in the country as well as the feed stock for tens of petrochemical and industrial complexes around the country. The company is also operating one of the biggest high pressure gas transmission and distribution networks of the world facilitating export, import, transit and swap of natural gas in the country. In the point of natural gas treatment and supply, the company has the first position in the Middle East and is considered as one of major gas companies around the world. At the time being, the number of the NIGC permanent staff is more than19000 official staff and more than 19300 total staff [2].