NPC's output edged up by 20% to 3.45million tonnes in the first quarter of the current fiscal year starting March 2001 compared to the output of the same period last year. Almost all of the production complexes outperformed their last year performance while output increase was particularly considerable in Bandar Imam, Shiraz and Arak complexes. Besides, several of the facilities outstripped their production targets for the first quarter. Currently, NPC has nine production complexes. Meanwhile, export revenues reached over $233 millions up by 24% in the first quarter of the current year against the figure of the corresponding period last year. NPC's exports are expected to reach $5bn by 2005 when its development projects are on track.Health and safety records in the first quarter indicate that the total Manhours Without Accident (MWA) reached over 29.5 millions registering some 78% increase over the last year. This is in light of the fact that the number of permanent staff and contractors' personnel showed 14 percent increase. At the same time, Fatal Accident Frequency Rate (FAFR) was down by 7 percent compared to the last year's Q1 figures. Moreover, the number of fire-outbreaks decreased by 45 percent in the same period.

In line with offers expressed earlier by Iranian Petroleum Ministry officials, Mohammad Ehtiati, Chairman and Managing Director of the NPC's commercial and trading subsidiary Petrochemical Commercial Company has said' "Persian Gulf countries can cooperate in the production,marketing,transportation and distribution of petrochemicals." Ehtiati also called for exchange of information and supplement of products between countries in the region suggesting that persian Gulf countries can invest jointly in each other petrochemical projects.He pointed out that these countries could have a common research program to improve the quality of their petrochemical products. Iran's Petroleum Minister HE Bijan Namdar Zanganeh had earlier offered for an expansion of regional petrochemical co-operation in areas such as joint investment and marketing.He noted that there was a duplication of projects that could lead to excess capacity and uneconomic development.Also,NPC President M.R.Nematzadeh has suggested a series of meeting between regional countries,which have petrochemical industry to exchange information and experience and identify opportunities for joint ventures, technical and commercial co-operation.