India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corp overseas arm--ONGC Videsh Ltd.--more than doubled Farsi field’s gas reserve estimate to 21.68 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) after reviewing independent studies by Fugro Robertson Ltd. and ONGC’s Institutes of Reservoir Studies, Business Standard said quoting a report by the firm to National Iranian Oil Company.
The October 2006 discovery was last estimated at 10 Tcf and one billion barrels.
ONGC Videsh now placed the estimate of gas reserves at between 9.48 Tcf and 21.68 Tcf.ÊThe same report also discounts the presence of crude in commercial quantity. Although the block holds heavy oil, the pressure difference among the drilled wells showed the possibility of their being connected to neighboring Kuwaiti or Saudi Arabian wells or the existence of oil in separate compartments, according to the report.
The contract for the Farsi block was signed in 2002.
In addition to operation in Farsi block, ONGC Videsh hopes to partner the Hinduja Group to develop Iran’s South Pars Phase 12, world’s largest offshore gas field, and the Azadegan field.
Iran, the world’s fourth largest oil exporter, is drawing interest from Indian and Chinese firms that are keen to tap the world’s second-largest reserves of oil and gas and are less susceptible than many other companies to Western pressure over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Idea of relocating the Iranian capital was first floated in 1985, but it was rejected because disadvantages outweighed the benefits then.

The word capital is derived from the Latin caput meaning ’head’ and the related term capitol refers to the building where government business is mainly operated.
In the world of politics however, a capital is referred to the center of government and is almost always the city which physically includes offices and meeting places of the seat of government, the Persian daily ’Iran’ reported.
The capital naturally attracts the politically motivated and those whose skills are required for efficient administration of government.
Capitals are sometimes re-sited to discourage further growth in an existing major city. Brasilia, for instance, was situated in Brazil’s hinterland since the old capital, Rio de Janeiro, and southeastern Brazil in general, were considered over-crowded. Therefore, it moved to Brasilia in 1960 to encourage inland growth. Also, while Kyoto was Japan’s capital from 794, earlier moved from Nagaokakyo, it moved again to Tokyo in around 1868.
The idea of relocating the Iranian capital was first floated in 1985 after two centuries of being the capital, but it was rejected because disadvantages outweighed the benefits then.
Then in 1989, after the 8-year imposed war with Iraq ended, there were again talks about moving the capital to a smaller city, but the project did not become operational with promises to implement more development projects in Tehran and to solve its old problems.
In the 1990s the issue was brought up again as no development took place and five cities were even announced as candidates then, but experts then suggested that the solution to the problems of Tehran would not be more development as more development simply meant more problems including migration to the megapolis.
Besides, as long as public services including those provided by ministries are concentrated in Tehran, even with the relocation of the capital, problems will still remain.
The idea has once again been brought up by Labor Minister Mohammad Jahromi in the belief that giving more authority to ministry offices and branches in other cities can be another solution while it does not fully address the problem.
Most companies, he noted, have an office in Tehran only because they need to have easier access to ministries. But a better solution would be transfer the diplomatic corps and administrative centers elsewhere, according to Jahromi. The cost of relocating the capital is far less than the amount needed for all the other above-mentioned solutions.
In earlier plans, five spots had been chosen but they were all rejected for technical reasons. No city or location has been announced so far as the new capital but the population of the new capital city should not exceed 250,000 in 50 years.
Moreover, there should be less government so that not all ministries are moved to the new location and only the core of government functions there otherwise problems themselves will transfer along with the capital.
Interior minister, Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi, had earlier supported the idea of relocating the capital, but he had then stated that ’the financial cost of abandoning the 12-million-strong megapolis as capital outweighs its advantages’.
Given that Tehran receives more subsidies per capita than any other city in the county, the subsidy allocated to all cities with a population of over 250,000 increases progressively.
Many present-day capital cities, such as Abuja (in Nigeria), Brasilia, Canberra, Islamabad, Ottawa and Washington are planned cities, purposefully located away from established population centers for various reasons, and have gradually become new business or commercial centers.

Mohammad Hassan Sadeqi-Moqaddam deputy head of the Presidential Department for Strategic Planning and Supervision for cultural and educational affairs speaking at a press conference in Tehran.

Deputy head of the Presidential Department for Strategic Planning and Supervision for cultural and educational affairs said that funds for cultural spending have been increased in the 2008-2009 budget bill compared to the amount allocated for the current year.
“The allocation for current expenditure in the cultural sector has increased by 14 percent while development funds rose by 83 percent in next year’s budget,“ Mohammad Hassan Sadeqi-Moqaddam said on Sunday.
The official was briefing reporters on the details of the 2,745-trillion-rial (($294 billion) budget bill submitted by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the parliament last Monday.
Budget allocated for the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance for providing publishing subsidies, managing library affairs and administering the ministry itself was 2,530 billion rials this year.
The figure, he said, has been increased to 3,000 billion rials in the draft budget bill for next year, showing a 20-percent growth.
The ratio of cultural spending to general expenses which was 2.7 percent in the year to March 2006 has almost doubled to reach 5.3 percent.
This year’s budget has obliged executive organizations, state companies and banks to earmark one percent of their budget to educational, scientific and technical activities, the official stated and added the figure has risen to four percent for next year.
The Fourth-Five Year Development Plan (2005-2010) has envisaged two percent of the gross domestic product to be allocated to research studies.

Oil production from Darkhovein field, in Khuzestan province, has been doubled to 100,000 barrels per day (bpd), a senior Oil Ministry official said late Sunday, referring to part of a plan to hike output from OPEC’s second biggest producer.
Darkhovein, a field in southwest Iran near the Iraqi border, is being developed by Italy’s oil and gas group Eni in cooperation with Iran’s Arvandan Oil and Gas Company, a subsidiary of the state’s National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).
Eni signed a $550 million deal with Iran’s state oil company in 2001 to develop the field. It brought the first phase on line in 2005 and is now active in the second phase.
Salbali Karami, managing director of Arvandan, was quoted by IRIB as saying that output from Darkhovein oilfield had increased from 50,000 bpd to 100,000 bpd.
“It is expected that after the second stage of development of this field, production is expected to reach 160,000 bpd,“ he added.
Karami said last year that production from the field was 50,000 bpd and would rise to 100,000 bpd in January, climbing to 160,000 bpd in August-September 2008.
The Oil Ministry said last September that it planned to begin talks with Eni to carry out another phase of the project that would add a further 100,000 bpd to the field’s output.
Increasing output at Darkhovein is part of Iran’s effort to hike production to 4.5 million bpd by 2010. An Iranian official was quoted earlier this month as saying Iran would hit that target earlier than expected but did not say when.
Analysts say Iran needs more investment and expertise from foreign firms if it is to sharply boost capacity.
Many foreign firms, particularly from Western countries, are wary of investing because of Iran’s nuclear row with the West. But Chinese and other Asian firms have shown increased interest.

Construction of a 16-km beltway will destroy 300 hectares of Anzaly Wetland and inflicting losses worth 470 million rials.

Officials in Gilan province are making efforts to obtain a permit for construction of a beltway along Anzali International Wetland, announced deputy head of Department of Environment (DoE) for management development and Majlis affairs, Mohammad Jafar Javadi.
He added that DoE has opposed the move, adding if the road is constructed, Ramsar Convention, as one the main advocates of the wetland protection, will certainly impose a heavy fine on Iran, MNA reported.
He noted that given that the initial plans for the project, which envisaged the construction of a road alongside the wetland, was costly and time consuming, local officials submitted a proposal on building the road along the wetland.
Meanwhile the failure of the governor general of Gilan province to attend caused the government infrastructural commission to postpone the meeting to discuss plans for constructing Anzali beltway which was to be held on Sunday.
Anzali Wetland is one of the most important and beautiful international wetlands which is located in the lush Caspian province of Gilan.
Covering over 20,000 hectares, Anzali Wetland is an important habitat for migratory birds, animals and marine species. It is home to various fish species, including sturgeon, salmon, Cyprinidae, Percidae, anchovy, pike and trout.
A long-running dispute between DoE and Road Ministry on the construction of a 16-km beltway still remains.
On several occasions, DoE called on the Road Ministry to reroute the beltway, but unfortunately the ministry did not provide a positive response.
The department contends that the road will destroy 300 hectares of the wetland, inflicting losses worth 470 million rials, splitting the wetland, creating air and noise pollution and bringing about an environmental disaster.
An environmental expert said earlier that studies showed the construction of the road will not help ease transport and would only cause irreparable damage to the ecosystem of the wetland.

The First International Conference on Investment Opportunities in Iran’s Telecom Sector will be held in Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting’s International Conference Center in Tehran on January 16, said manager of Teyf Scientific-Analytic Group.
Mehdi Rouhani-Nejad, who is also the secretary of conference, explained that the one-day gathering will be inaugurated with a speech by Communications and Information Technology Minister Mohammad Soleimani, according to a fax sent to Iran Daily by Teyf Group.
In addition, caretaker of Telecommunications Company of Iran’s Research Center Kamala Mohammadpour, head of State Radio Frequency Regulations Organization Mahmoud Khosravi, TCI Managing Director Saber Feizi and head of Privatization Organization Gholamreza Heidari Kord-Zangeneh will speak at the event, he pointed out.
Representative of Nokia-Siemens Company and manager of the second operator project from France-based BNP Company will also address the seminar.
Operators from UAE, Norway and Egypt will take part in the event thanks to efforts of International Relations Office of Communications and Information Technology Ministry as well as Foreign Affairs Ministry, the official stated.
According to him, Iranian agencies in Turkey, Sweden and Malaysia have also declared their readiness to introduce opportunities available in Iran’s telecommunications market to foreign investors by inviting them to participate in the conference.
Earlier, operators from Russia, France and Sweden had announced their readiness to take part in the gathering.
Teyf will provide an environment for identifying various investment capacities, opportunities and challenges in Iran’s telecommunication market.
The seminar, which is to be sponsored by Communications and Information Technology Ministry and Sharif University of Technology, aims to introduce new opportunities in Iran’s telecom sector in an effort to help attract domestic and foreign investments.
In addition, it will also study the capabilities of and challenges facing investors.
Those interested can refer to www.teyf.ir/icioit or contact (+98-21)88511303 to obtain the latest information on the event.