unique comparative advantage in producing petrochemicals when international crude oil prices rise. The gain has been greatest in those plants that use liquid gas as their main input. For FY 2006, the petrochemical industry's share of GDP was projected to be about 2 percent. Iran plans to invest a total of $500 billion in the oil sector before 2025. Iran's petrochemical industries have absorbed a large amount of private and public investment. In the early 2000s, 43 percent of these investments was financed by Iran's National Petrochemical Company, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Petroleum, which administers the entire petrochemical sector. Another 53 percent is owned by foreign creditors (more than 100 foreign banks and foreign companies), 3 percent by banks, and 1 percent by the capital market. Most of the petrochemical industry's physical capital is imported, and the industry does not have strong backward linkages to manufacturing industries. In 2006 new petrochemical plants came online at Marun and Asaluyeh, and construction began on three others. Iran National Petrochemical Company's output capacity will increase to over 100 million tpa by 2015 from an estimated 50 million tpa in 2010 thus becoming the world' second largest chemical producer globally after Dow Chemical with Iran housing some of the world's largest chemical complexes. See also Energy in Iran Economy of Iran Industry of Iran Iranian Oil Bourse Ministry of Petroleum of Iran National Iranian Oil Company National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company National Iranian Petrochemical Company National Iranian Gas Company Tehran Stock Exchange Iranian targeted subsidy plan References External links Ministry of Petroleum Of Iran Official Website Ministry of Energy Of Iran Official Website US Department of Energy - Iran's entry SHANA - Official News Service for Oil and Gas in Iran Oil & Gas Industry in Iran - 2003 Study (history, market overview, domestic suppliers, major projects, buy-backs) FACTBOX-Iran's crude export and fuel import customers - Reuters Offshore Middle East and Caspian Sea Oil and Gas Market Report 2011 Iran Gas Markets Report, 2011 - GlobalData Iran's oil exportation map by country Iran oil sanctions calculator - Reuters Infrastructure map of Iran's fields and facilities Persia Land of Black Gold Iranian Discoveries Continue