The 13th Iran International Oil and Gas & Petrochemical Exhibition to take place 16th - 20th  April 2008 at Tehran International Fairground is organised by:   Iran, with reserves of more than 130 billion barrels of oil and condensates (13% of the world's supplies) and in excess of 26 trillion cubic meters of natural gas (18% of the world's supplies), ranks second among the oil and gas producing nations in the world. Based on the global economic horizon, energy demand will rise dramatically, with oil and gas playing a dominant role in the world's energy consumption mix. Global oil requirements during the next twenty years are estimated to increase to twice the amount consumed in the last two decades. Natural gas, as the fuel of choice of this century, will register the highest percentage increase within the total energy mix. The rising trend in global energy demand and the essential role of a limited number of countries in the Persian Gulf in meeting that requirement is a reminder of the importance of oil market stability and supply security. Pre-requisites of that stability and security together with the exclusive role of the Persian Gulf littoral states in meeting the world's oil need’s, have aligned these states' oil production and export targets with global objectives. The Islamic Republic of Iran, as the second largest oil producer among OPEC countries, will supply about 13% of the world's increasing demand for oil during the next twenty years. In the context of Iran's domestic policies, therefore, special priority is given to increased investment in the petroleum sector. To this end, it is highly imperative to familiarize petroleum related industrialists with the inherent potentials in Iran. International Exhibitions are one of the well recognized instruments for gaining access to these potentials. The benefits gained through the previous twelve Tehran International Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals Exhibitions by Iranian and international participants strongly justify supporting this annual event. An increase of 50% in the number of domestic and international participants in the Twelfth event was a clear reflection of the high degree of interest expressed by those involved in oil and oil-related industries. The petroleum industry, apart from its role in the international arena and satisfying a large portion of the world's oil requirements, also makes great contributions towards providing the nation's hard currency earnings, enhances national manufacturing and production capabilities, creates local employment opportunities and provides the required funding needed for the government's local investments and public services. It is worth mentioning that the development of new fields by the Ministry of Petroleum alone directly resulted in the creation of more than 200,000 new jobs, which is unprecedented in other sectors. The 12th Oil Show in April 2007 attracted 103,000 specialist visitors from both Iran and neighbouring countries in the region. Over 1250 Iranian and International companies were present at the exhibition last year occupying a surface area of around 75000 sq m!