IRAN - Mohammad-Reza Nematzadeh.

Deputy Oil Minister and President of National Iranian Oil Refining & Distribution Co. (NIORDC) since January 2006, Nematzadeh is the most senior figure in the petroleum sector having served as a full minister of industry. From August 1997 until early 2006, he used to be president of National Petrochemical Co. (NPC). He was moved to head NIORDC because the refining sector and the country's fuel distribution system were grossly inefficient and lacked the capacity to meet Iran's rapidly rising demand for fuels, particularly gasoline. He was authorised to spend on a $15-18 bn programme expand the refining sector at top speed (see down15IranRefApr9-07).

Dr. Nematzadeh has been prominent in all governments since the 1989-97 presidency of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. He and then Oil Minister Zanganeh have had a long friendship, with Nematzadeh having headed the state's Power and Transmission Company Tavanir in the late 1980s - Tavanir being under the energy ministry. Now he is also a member of the Supreme Economic Council (SEC), the top decision maker for the country's major projects.

An efficient administrator and an excellent engineer, Nematzadeh is a hard worker. After having expanded the petrochemicals sector at top speed (see his NPC background in down15IranPetchmApr11-05), he is now presiding over an equally rapid growth of the refining and fuel distribution systems.

Dr. Nematzadeh is an Azeri. He was born in Tabriz (eastern Azerbaijan province) in 1945. He got a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Tabriz University, a master's degree in industrial management from Tehran University and a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley. He left theological studies in 1977 and joined the Khomeini movement. After the revolution he became in charge of an inspection committee at the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry; director of the Iran National Co.; labour minister after the fall of Mehdi Bazargan's government in late 1979; industry and mines minister from September 1980 to August 1981; CEO of Tavanir from February to August 1989; and industry minister from August 1989 to late 1995. In the latter position, he was in charge of both light and heavy industries which were merged in September 1994. He then began a drive to privatise oth light and heavy industries that were under his ministry.

On the sidelines of the 12th Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Exhibition in Tehran on April 19, Nematzadeh said Iran's gasoline production would hit 126.053m litres/day by 2011, from 40m litres/day in early 2006. (Iran's gasoline consumption is expected to exceed 80.3m l/d by mid-2007 from 73m l/d in mid-2006). He said: "We have carried out comprehensive studies on refineries and have prepared a master plan for every refinery during the past two years", adding, "Now, development plans and new refining patterns of all refineries are ready for being put into action in the Fourth Development Plan" (for 2005/06-2010/11). He said the plans for the refineries aimed to improve the manpower structure, economise refining operations, promote the quality of oil products according to the latest international standards, optimise the refining model, reduce the production of low-value fuels such as furnace oil, boost the output of high-value fuels like gasoline, cut the consumption of energy and fuel, and improve the control systems.

Nematzadeh said NIORDC held domestic and international tenders and signed various contracts worth 6 bn on development plans and improvement of quality of products of Abadan, Bandar Abbas, Arak, Isfahan, Tabriz, Tehran, and Lavan refineries in the past Iranian year 1385 (March 21, 2006 to March 20, 2007).