HOUSTON (PRNewswire) – Chemical Market Associates, Inc. (CMAI) recently completed the NPC Iran Chemical Company Analysis (CCA), the first of six company analyses of the 2006 Edition. The report includes strategic direction, financial overviews, business operations/positions, manufacturing site descriptions and product material balances for NPC Iran.

The National Petrochemical Company (NPC) of Iran will become the second largest commodity chemical producer in the world by 2015 ranking only behind Dow Chemical, but slightly ahead of ExxonMobil based on petrochemical investment projects announced so far.

Today, NPC Iran is the second largest producer and exporter of petrochemicals in the Middle East. Globally, NPC still ranks below the ten largest petrochemical producers. Prior to the purchase of Bataan Polyethylene in the Philippines, NPC Iran's geographic focus was limited to the Middle East, where it operates facilities primarily in Iran and a joint venture with Oman Oil and LG International in Oman. Future acquisitions of international petrochemical assets may further expand the company's geographic reach.

NPC Iran will likely be able to realize its very ambitious expansion plans based on an advantaged feedstock cost position and lower financial constraints as a state-owned entity. Vast natural gas reserves in Iran provide cheap feedstock for mostly ethane-based steam crackers and derivative units. Although demand for petrochemicals in Iran is growing at double-digit rates, domestic consumption will remain far below the available supplies for some time and most of the production will be exported. Asia and China in particular will be the main destination for Iranian exports. The rapidly growing and highly competitive exports from Iran will limit export volumes from other countries and may even force older and less efficient units in the more mature, slower growing markets to exit.

The Chemical Company Analysis (CCA) is a multi-client service aimed at analyzing the structure, dynamics, competition and strategic issues of global and regional chemical industry participants. The 2006 Edition includes company reports on NPC Iran, Formosa, Nova Chemicals, BASF, Ineos and SABIC. The company reports published in the 2005 Edition of the CCA are Huntsman, Innovene, Basell, Dow Chemical, Reliance Industries, and Arkema.

CMAI is a petrochemical consulting firm that services a wide range of companies all over the world. Since 1979, CMAI's goal has been to provide accurate, timely consulting services for the worldwide petrochemical, plastics, fiber, and chlor-alkali industries. CMAI maintains offices in Houston, New York, London, Dubai, Singapore and Shanghai. Clients to CMAI services include chemical and oil companies, engineering & construction companies, banking and financial institutions, plastic converters, government agencies and trading companies.