In-situ oil reserves of Azadegan oilfield in southern Khuzestan province is likely to increase, announced the caretaker of the Oil Ministry, Gholamhossein Nozari.
Speaking during a visit to the oilfield in Talaeiyeh region, he said, “Evidences indicate that in-situ oil reserves in Azadegan may rise to 42 billion barrels from the current 33 billion.“
He hoped that final studies would prove this, ISNA reported.
“I hope that strenuous efforts of our experts in this oilfield measuring 60x22 kilometers will lead to a considerable rise in production.“
Azadegan is considered Iran’s largest oilfield with an estimated 33 billion barrels of crude oil in an area of about 1,400 square kilometers.
Nozari stated that preliminary production of 25,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the oilfield would begin in January.
He added that daily output of the oilfield would increase to 50,000 bpd once the second phase of the development project becomes operational.
The oilfield, shared with Iraq, is located some 80 km west of Ahvaz. It was discovered in 1999.
Japanese Inpex Company had earlier planned to develop the oilfield but following the refusal of the Japanese firm to cooperate in the Azadegan project, the first phase of the project was ceded to National Iranian South Oil Company.
Nozari elaborated that the development projects in this oilfield and Yadavaran were ceded to domestic experts to augment motivation.
He added that negotiations are underway to cooperate with China in Yadavaran oilfield.
Turning to Iran’s oil exports, the official stated that Iran currently exports between 2.4 million and 2.5 million bpd.
Nozari stated that three new oil refineries will be constructed in Abadan, Khuzestan province and Hormuzgan province (two) to avoid exporting crude.
According to him, these three refineries will boost refining capacity from 1.7 million to 2.9 million bpd. Nozari pledged to upgrade Tabriz, Shiraz, Arak, Kermanshah, Isfahan and Arak refineries.

Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry

A senior representative of International Labor Organization (ILO), Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry has said that as director of the International Labor Standards Department, she has never given her views to the media about the legitimacy or illegitimacy of Iran’s labor unions.
In a meeting with Labor Minister Mohammad Jahromi, Doumbia-Henry underlined that she is only in charge of studying the findings and reports of the committee of ILO experts, Fars news agency reported.
Jahromi for his part said, “Given my understanding about your views during last year’s (ILO) meeting, I am certain that the comments published in the media purporting to come from you are not correct.“
He continued that the ministry can release figures about labor unions in Iran after 2005 (when President Ahmadinejad’s government took office).
The number of employees’ and employers’ entities is now three times more than what it was in 2004, he pointed out.
The minister explained that the former Iranian Association of Employer Unions used to represent only three percent of the entire employers. After the ninth government assumed office, many employers wanted to participate in the association.
Labor Ministry announced the dissolution of the former association on November 4, 2006 following its failure to elect new members of the Board of Directors within six months.
Currently the association represents over 70 percent of the employers’ entities, he added.
He proposed the dispatch of ILO experts to Iran to observe the future election of Iran’s Association of Employers’ Unions.
The former association earlier claimed that Doumbia-Henry had vouched the legitimacy of the union.
Earlier in a meeting with the association in Tehran, she lauded the positive steps Iran had taken to counter work discrimination.
“Iran has taken very positive measures to promote a more active role for women in the economy,“ she said.
The director also commented on the status of the association, emphasizing the right of labor unions to form free associations.
The ILO delegation arrived in Iran on October 27 to negotiate and follow up on the process of implementing treaties 95 and 111 of the Geneva 2007 International Labor Conference. The two treaties concern wages and work discrimination respectively, and cover discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, race and nationality.

Saffron flowers are sold for more than 500,000-600,000 rials per three kilograms.

Saffron price has reached 20 million rials per kilo
($2,144.7) , managing director of Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Saffron Farmers said on Tuesday.
According to MNA, Mohammad Hossein Meshkati stated that, the price of saffron flowers increased 50 percent in the year to March 2008 compared to the amount for the same period last year.
“Saffron flowers sold for more than 500,000 to 650,000 rials for three kilograms in the current year,“ he said, adding that saffron farmers have also had to cope with 50-percent rise in costs.
Despite the price fluctuation, Meshkati added that saffron cultivation is still economical at present.
He predicted that some 100-150 tons of dry saffron will be produced this year.
Increase in price of domestic saffron has endangered Iran’s presence in global markets. The price hike, which began in the year to March 2007, caused Iran to lose the market.
Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice. The delicate flowers are harvested only in mid-autumn. Saffron flowers begin to grow after the first rains and the blooming period is usually mid-October.
Cool climate and rich soil with excellent drainage and organic content make the ideal location for growing this spice but a lapse in any one of the conditions can spoil the entire crop.
Although Iran produces the top-quality saffron, poor packaging and improper export policies have led to the market being dominated by other countries.
Some 60 percent of Iranian saffron are currently distributed internationally under Spanish and UAE trademarks. Only 20 percent of Iran’s saffron exports are packaged within the country.

The 13th International Elecomp (Electronics, Computer, and E-commerce) and the 8th Telecom (Telecommunications, Communications, and Information Technology) joint exhibition opened in Tehran International Fairgrounds on October 28 and ran for four days.
Exhibitions, which aim to materialize various goals, are being held to serve multiple purposes. By coming together under a single roof and holding economic-oriented exhibits, domestic and foreign activists present their products/services to their peers and visitors. This adds to their own knowledge and provides visitors a chance to view latest technologies and obtain information. Some 399 domestic and 58 foreign companies had pavilions in the Elecomp Exhibition and the Telecom Exhibition hosted 122 domestic and 40 foreign companies showing their latest technical and scientific achievements as well as the state-of-the-art technology.
Computer parts, accessories, equipment including hardware and software, ISPs, electronics, e-Commerce, service, ad systems as well as communications and telecommunications services were featured in these two special exhibitions.
Electronics, computer, telecommunications, and communication technologies, which are among the fast growing fields, originated from various scientific innovations to make life easier.
In view of their applications in people’s life, new technologies have become increasingly in demand and investment on the field is gaining momentum.
Although the sector’s growth in Iran is fast because of the demand for communication technologies, it is not fast enough to meet the actual needs of the society and keep abreast of global developments due to state involvement.
By devising privatization policy and limiting government’s role to supervision, it is expected that growth in the communications, telecommunications and IT industries would be expedited. Perhaps this is why the participants, particularly foreign firms, were extremely active in recent exhibitions. This indicates the attention given to developments in the sectors.
Communication and computer technologies have been indispensable in the past few years and the high access rate to these technologies indicate the development and growth of countries. That is why, in the past two years, the government made concerted efforts to develop the infrastructures among which, one can cite the reduction in Internet administrative costs, increase in its speed as well as improvement in the land-based and cellphones penetration rates.
Plans to ease controls and provide practical support as well as formulate well-defined regulations would accelerate privatization and pave the way for attracting new technologies. After all, optimized communications and telecommunications services should be offered to the public.

Tehran will host an international conference on coping with water scarcity on January 22-25, secretary of the gathering announced.
According to a fax sent by the secretariat of conference, Gholamali Memari stated that the First Conference on Coping with Water Scarcity and International Exhibition on Improvement of Agricultural, Urban and Industrial Water Usage Equipments aims to improve management of water in the wake of shortages.
He added that the conference will be organized by Iran Water Resources Management Company as well as Agricultural Jihad Ministry’s Industrial and Infrastructure Affairs Department, Water and Sewage Engineering Company.
Memari, who is an advisor to energy minister, announced that the conference will study the latest views, consider strategies and technologies for coping with water shortage, ways of increasing public participation and review strategies for water resources management in different areas, improve management of water.
He noted that Tehran University of Architecture Engineering College as well as Amir Kabir Technical University of Environment Research Center, Sustainable Development National Committee are the other organizers of the conference.
’Coping with Water Scarcity’ is the theme for World Water Day 2007, which is observed annually on March 22.
The theme highlights the significance of cooperation and importance of an integrated approach to water resource management of water at international, national and local levels.
Equity and rights, cultural and ethical issues are essential to be addressed in dealing with limited water resources.

Construction of Mamlou Reservoir Dam, some 50 km northeast of Tehran, has shown a physical progress of 70 percent. The dam is to be commissioned in early 2008 provided the funds are made available.
Located in Parchin Route near Khojir Forest Park, the dam, once operational, is to supply 90 million cubic meters of potable water for Tehran and feed irrigation network in Varamin Plains, southeast of the capital.
A village by the same name will be submerged with the commissioning of the dam which will form a lake with an area of seven square kilometers.
The dam’s location was identified by an expert group from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in 1996 but the project did not begin until 2002.
Speaking to a group of reporters visiting the construction site on Monday, project director said that the dam has a reservoir with the capacity to store to 250 million cubic meters of water of which 150 million cubic meters will be channeled for irrigating Varamin farmlands.
The remaining 100 million cubic meters will be used to supply potable water for Tehran and its suburban southeastern townships, Gholamreza Abedini elaborated. “Once operational, the dam will meet 37 percent of Tehran’s potable water demand.“
Recalling that feasibility studies on the dam began in 1991 and construction works in 2001, he noted that the dam would be filled with water by January or February.
The dam will become fully operational in the Iranian year to March 2009, the official added.
Complaining about fund shortfalls, Abedini stated that about 450 billion rials have been expended on the project so far and ’we need another 120 billion rials for the current year of which only 60 percent have been made available’.
He pointed out that implementers of the project are about 40 billion rials in debt.
Meanwhile, first deputy project director said that since the dam is situated near Khojir protected zone, environmental concerns had to be taken into account in its construction.
Abdollah Bariani stated that the project was delayed for two years since the dam would submerge Defense Ministry buildings situated in the area.
At present, 85 small and giant dams with the reservoir capacity of 10 billion cubic meters are under construction in the country. Major part of dam projects will be completed in a decade if the implementation process moves in line with Comprehensive Water Plan. Dams’ storage capacity will increase by two billion cubic meters per annum with the construction of new dams.
Iran is a leading dam building country. Domestic experts have achieved great progress in dam building since 1979. Iranian specialists have also undertaken dam projects abroad.

Household and commercial sectors wasted an equivalent of $12 billion worth of energy during the year to March 2007, secretary of a seminar on National Building Regulations pointed out.
Hamid Reza Mohebbi regretted that a large section of the society is still unfamiliar with the rules and regulations on improving energy consumption in buildings.
He was quoted by Fars news agency as saying on Tuesday that those involved in the construction sector and the public should be trained on efficient use
of energy.
Speaking at the same gathering, a member of the Majlis Energy Commission said that industries, vehicles and buildings waste over $50 billion worth of energy each year.
Hassan Moradi stated, “This figure in fact equals the energy subsidies paid by the government.“
He regretted that effective measures have not yet been taken to prevent this undesirable consumption trend.
Also, a senior official with the Iranian Fuel Conservation Organization (IFCO) said housing sector ranks first after transport sector in wasting energy and ’this is a cause for concern’.
Rasoul Akherati said that consumption by household and commercial sector accounts for 38 percent of total consumption.
If energy is consumed reasonably, consumption would decrease by 16 percent in 2014 and by 27 percent in 2021, he said, adding that this is equal to 3,186 million barrels of oil.