NPC organized a 3-day international fieldbus seminar, exhibition and workshop in Tehran. NPC President Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh opened the exhibition on 29 January 2002. He told the gathering in his opening address that two years ago when NPC selected fieldbus technology for the control system of its new projects there were few convincing large scale applications in the world. He added that many domestic and foreign instrument specialists as well as leading engineering companies were doubtful over the application of such a system in large scale projects. "Today, however, we see that many large scale world-wide projects in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries are using the technology", Nematzadeh stated.
He cited NPC's willingness to provide support to manufacturers for designing and manufacturing control systems including fieldbus in Iran under their license.
Manufacturers and suppliers of fieldbus technology demonstrated their products and services including control systems and auxiliary equipment, instrumentation, cables, junction boxes, barriers, power supplies, safety equipment and systems, application software, engineering, consulting and construction services.
Some of the topics discussed at the workshops included introduction of data transmission by fiber optic field instruments in foundation fieldbus criteria, new technologies for safety and related and fault tolerant control systems in open communication environment, advanced control and asset management in fieldbus solution, advanced operation assistance and practical consideration for fieldbus installation.
Some of the topics discussed at the seminar included profibus; an international fieldbus standard, new fieldbus system for field control and data management.

Banff Executive Leadership Inc. of Canada held a three-day Leading Complex Organizational Change seminar for senior NPC managers in Tehran.
The seminar covered topics such as "competency profile and learning plans", "issues driving change in NPC/Iran", "Change leadership; systems planning model", "adaptive vs. technical change", "creative adaptive change outcomes", "changing coaching and measures of success"," process and systems changes ". The seminar also included live case studies.
It aimed to develop an enhanced understanding of complex organizational change leadership, to examine a 'systems' approach to planned change, to explore the nature of adaptive vs. technical change leadership and how to lead with an understanding of group/team dynamics, mobilizing people with respect for cultural issues and yet tackling significant re-invention change vs. incremental performance improvement. The seminar, organized by the NPC's management training arm Rahbaran Petrochemical Co., opened on 29 January 2002.
The Canadian Ambassador to Tehran, Mr. Philip Mac Kinnon, opened the seminar. He called for expansion of ties between NPC and Canadian companies.


NPC and other production subsidiaries of the Iranian Petroleum Ministry took part at the Kuwait International Petroleum Exhibition that was held on 2-5 February 2002. The Exhibition was inaugurated by the Kuwaiti minister of oil HE Dr. Adel Khalid Al Subaih. After his opening speech, he paid a visit to the NPC's booth and was briefed about its development programs which he termed them as "challenging".
At the exhibition, several Kuwaiti and foreign companies approached NPC and discussed purchasing of its products, training cooperation and investment in NPC projects. Furthermore, a number of Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti companies based in Kuwait expressed interest in concluding agency agreement with NPC.






NPC's director of planning and development Mohammad Hassan Peyvandi who also chairs Iran Petrochemical Forum (IPF) told NPC News Bulletin that the annual forum shapes a part of the process of sustainable development in NPC.
Speaking to the Bulletin on the verge of the fourth IPF, which will be held on 18-19 May 2002 in Tehran, he said "the forum has emerged as a great international event in terms of the number of participants and the quality of presentations. Some 700 Iranian and 240 international figures from all corners of the world attended the event (IPF 2001) last year exchanging ideas and sharing views on the challenges facing petrochemical industry." He believes that the attendance of technology owners at IPF and their understanding of developments in Iran's petrochemical industry and its advantages serves to enhance mutual cooperation.
Peyvandi said IPF 2002 would cover the industry's current issues adding that the topics were selected based on feedback from participant in the last year forum as well as from domestic and foreign experts. Some of the topics that will be discussed at the event include: technology innovation, surviving the bottom-line of the petrochemical cycle, challenges facing petrochemical industry in 21st century, E-commerce in petrochemical market, product development, NPC's projects update, feedstock availability in the Middle East, financing petrochemical projects and factors influencing petrochemicals production.
He explained that due to the high seniority level of the participants, NPC tries to provide all the necessary arrangements and facilities in order to create a suitable environment and a proper meeting place for the attendants to make contacts and to exchange views and promote cooperation and business.

In IPF 2002, technological innovations and developments will be a major topic. For this reason, Peyvandi explained, Iranian minister of Sciences, Research and Technology has been invited to speak on the issue at the forum, while Iran's minister of Finance and Economics will present an up date of Iran's economic policies and the role that petrochemical industry plays in the country's economy. Iran's petroleum minister will review plans to support and encourage the development of the Iranian petrochemical industry.