This book discusses the oil industry and its impact on the world economy in the twentieth century. It examines the importance of oil in different sectors, from 1900-1973 and stresses the relevance of oil as a factor in modern economic history not only in national terms but also within an international context. The book includes chapters on American policy towards developing economies in the first half of the 20th century; the policy of Russian oil exports in the 20s and 30s; the financing of the German and French oil industries; and the role of oil in the Japanese economy, a major industrial country without oil resources. On the international front, the book covers the impact of the Middle East national oil companies, the effect of oil on the developing countries of South Ameirca and the relevance of the oil crisis of 1973.

The close dovetailing between the interests of oil trusts and the policies of diplomats was one of the most significant and absorbing political developments of 1910-1920. This book examines the growing importance of oil to Soviet Russia at the start of the twentieth century and the impact this had on the geo-politics of the region.

This book addresses aspects of international law relating to petroleum contracts, examining oil and gas agreements between states and private companies and their intersection with rules of international law. It provides detailed and insightful coverage of the current practice as well as commentary and analysis based on the authors' extensive experience. The book covers topics such as the nature of international petroleum contracts, petroleum agreements as state contracts, issues of contract stability, the development of bilateral investment treaties, natural resource cycles, political risks and the specific petroleum policies of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Monetary Fund and the International Development Association. This is a timely and comprehensive book on this important area of law.

With global demand for energy poised to increase by more than half in the next three decades, the supply of safe, reliable, and reasonably priced gas and oil will continue to be of fundamental importance to modern economies. Central to this supply are the pipelines that transport this energy. And while the fundamental economics of the major pipeline networks are the same, the differences in their ownership, commercial development, and operation can provide insight into the workings of market institutions in various nations. Drawing on a century of the world's experience with gas and oil pipelines, this book illustrates the importance of economics in explaining the evolution of pipeline politics in various countries. It demonstrates that institutional differences influence ownership and regulation, while rents and consumer pricing depend on the size and diversity of existing markets, the depth of regulatory institutions, and the historical structure of the pipeline businesses themselves. The history of pipelines is also rife with social conflict, and Jeff D. Makholm explains how and when institutions in a variety of countries have controlled pipeline behavior - either through economic regulation or government ownership - in the public interest.

Process industries have a particularly urgent need for collaborative equipment management systems, but until now have lacked for programs directed toward their specific needs. TPM in Process lndustries brings together top consultants from the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance to modify the original "TPM Development Program." In this volume, they demonstrate how to analyze process environments and equipment issues including process loss structure and calculation, autonomous maintenance, equipment and process improvement, and quality maintenance. For all organizations managing large equipment, facing low operator/machine ratios, or implementing extensive improvement, this text is an invaluable resource.

The availability of low-cost energy from fossil fuels - in particular oil - has been the driving force behind postwar global economic growth, such that the petroleum industry has some of the world's largest companies. This book examines the economics of the oil and gas industry, from exploration, development and production, to transportation, refining and marketing. At each stage of the value chain, the key economic costs and considerations are presented in order to provide the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the workings of the industry. The book examines some of the unique economic challenges the industry faces, including negotiating international contracts with host countries (to gain access to hydrocarbons), managing the risks of recovery, implementing cross-border pipelines, dealing with huge variations in the taxation of refined products, and reacting to the effect of price control and subsidization in the OPEC nations which can create massive volatility in pricing. The search for low-carbon fuels, the impact of shale gas, the prospect of finite reserves, and the global political realities of the competing demands of oil-importing and oil-exporting countries are shown to make the sector high risk, but the economic rewards can be huge.

The Emirate of Kuwait hardly resembles the city-State it was at the start of the 20th century. The discovery of oil in 1938 rapidly transformed the tiny tribal sheikhdom of the Al-Sabah into a modern oil-producing state where, by the early 1980s, citizens were enjoying one of the highest standards of living in the world. While much has been written on the reasons why and how the Al-Sabah became a ruling dynasty, little is known about the nature of their authority and its relationship to Kuwait's social structure. Rivka Azoulay shows how despite the rapidity of change in the oil-rich, family-run emirate, it is the pre-oil dynamics of social and political life that dictate how society operates. The author shows that Kuwait's ambitious diversification plans to reduce oil-dependence by 2035 require a renegotiation of the regime's pact with society, which threatens the pre-oil alliances upon which the Al-Sabah's regime has been built.

The 1973 'Oil Shock' is considered a turning point in the history of the twentieth century. At the time it seemed to mark a definitive shift from the era of low priced oil to the era of expensive oil. For most Western industrialized countries, it became the symbolic marker of the end of an era. For many oil producers, it translated into an unprecedented control over their energy resources, and completed the process of decolonization, leading to a profound redefinition of international relations. This book provides an analysis of the crisis and its global political and economic impact. It features contributions from a range of perspectives and approaches, including political, economic, environmental, international and social history. The authors examine the origins of what was defined as an 'oil revolution' by the oil-producing countries, as well as the far-reaching effects of the 'shock' on the Cold War and decolonization, on international energy markets and the global economy. In doing so, they help place the event in its historical context as a key moment in the transformation of the international economy and of North-South relations.

Contemporary life is founded on oil - a cheap, accessible, and rich source of energy that has shaped cities and manufacturing economies at the same time that it has increased mobility, global trade, and environmental devastation. Despite oil's essential role, full recognition of its social and cultural significance has only become a prominent feature of everyday debate and discussion in the early twenty-first century. Presenting a multifaceted analysis of the cultural, social, and political claims and assumptions that guide how we think and talk about oil, Petrocultures maps the complex and often contradictory ways in which oil has influenced the public's imagination around the world. This collection of essays shows that oil's vast network of social and historical narratives and the processes that enable its extraction are what characterize its importance, and that its circulation through this immense web of relations forms worldwide experiences and expectations. Contributors' essays investigate the discourses surrounding oil in contemporary culture while advancing and configuring new ways to discuss the cultural ecosystem that it has created. A window into the social role of oil, Petrocultures also contemplates what it would mean if human life were no longer deeply shaped by the consumption of fossil fuels.

Upon George Mitchell's death in 2013, The Economist proclaimed, "Few businesspeople have done as much to change the world as George Mitchell," a billionaire Texas oilman who defied the stereotypical swagger so identified with that industry. In George P. Mitchell: Fracking, Sustainability, and an Unorthodox Quest to Save the Planet, award-winning author Loren C. Steffy offers the first definitive biography of Mitchell, placing his life and legacy in a global context, from the significance of his discoveries to the lingering controversies they inspired. Mitchell will forever be known as "the father of fracking," but he didn't invent the drilling process; he perfected it and made it profitable, one of many varied ventures he pursued for years. Long before his company ever fracked a well, he pioneered sustainable development by creating The Woodlands, near Houston, one of the first and most successful master-planned communities. Its focus on environmental protection and livability redefined the American suburb. This apparent contradiction between his energy interests and environmental pursuits, which his son Todd dubbed "the Mitchell Paradox," was just one of many that defined Mitchell's life. Anyone who puts fuel in a tank or turns on a light switch has benefited from Mitchell's efforts. This compelling biography reveals Mitchell as a modern renaissance man who sought to make the world a better, more livable place, a man whose unbounded intellectual curiosity led him to support a wide range of interests in business, science, and philanthropy.

Oil is one of the world's most important commodities, but few people know how its extraction affects the residents of petroleum-producing regions. In the 1960s, the Texaco corporation discovered crude in the territory of Ecuador's indigenous Cofan nation. Within a decade, Ecuador had become a member of OPEC, and the Cofan watched as their forests fell, their rivers ran black, and their bodies succumbed to new illnesses. In 1993, they became plaintiffs in a multibillion-dollar lawsuit that aims to compensate them for the losses they have suffered. Yet even in the midst of a tragic toxic disaster, the Cofan have refused to be destroyed. While seeking reparations for oil's assault on their lives, they remain committed to the survival of their language, culture, and rainforest homeland. Life in Oil presents the compelling, nuanced story of how the Cofan manage to endure at the center of Ecuadorian petroleum extraction. Michael L. Cepek has lived and worked with Cofan people for more than twenty years. In this highly accessible book, he goes well beyond popular and academic accounts of their suffering to share the largely unknown stories that Cofan people themselves create-the ones they tell in their own language, in their own communities, and to one another and the few outsiders they know and trust. Their words reveal that life in oil is a form of slow, confusing violence for some of the earth's most marginalized, yet resilient, inhabitants.

The Polar North is known to be home to large gas and oil reserves and its positionholds signifi cant trading and military advantages, yet the maritime boundaries of the region remain ill-defined. In the twenty-first century the Arctic is undergoing profound change. As the sea ice melts, a result of accelerating climate change, global governance has become vital. In this first of three volumes, the latest research and analysis from the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, the world's leading Arctic research body, is brought together. Arctic Governance: Law and Politics investigates the legal and political order of the Polar North, focusing on governance structures and the Law of the Sea. Are the current mechanisms at work effective? Are the Arctic states' interests really clashing, or is the atmosphere of a more cooperative nature? Skilfully delineating policy in the region and analysing the consequences of treaty agreements, Arctic Governance's uncovering of a rather orderly 'Arctic race' will become an indispensable contribution to contemporary International Relations concerning the Polar North.

Was the Iraq war really about oil? As a senior oil advisor for the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) and briefly as minister of oil, Gary Vogler thought he knew. But while doing research for a book about his experience in Iraq, Vogler discovered that what he knew was not the whole story-or even the true story. The Iraq war did have an oil agenda underlying it, one that Vogler had previously denied. This book is his attempt to set the record straight. Iraq and the Politics of Oil is a fascinating behind-the-scenes account of the role of the US government in the Iraqi oil sector since 2003. Vogler describes the prewar oil planning and the important decisions made during hostilities to get Iraqi oil flowing several months ahead of schedule. He reveals how, amid the instability of 2006 (largely fueled by the arrogance of early US decisions), the fixing of the Bayji Refinery contributed significantly to the success of the oil sector in the Sunni part of northern Iraq during and after the surge. Vogler gives us an expert insider's view of the largest oilfield auctions in the history of the international oil industry, and his account shows how US Forces' focus on a single Iraqi point of failure in 2007 was a primary factor in the record productions and exports of 2012 through 2017. But under the successes so deftly chronicled here, a darker political narrative finally emerges, one that reaches back to the decision to go to war with Iraq. Uncovering it, Vogler revises our understanding of what we were doing in Iraq, even as he gives us a critical, close-up view of that fraught enterprise.

Lean Refining: How to Improve Performance in the Oil Industry addresses the tremendous opportunities this quality improvement system can exploit to achieve huge financial gains, while simultaneously improving morale, timeliness, quality, safety, reliability, and environmental performance. The book offers numerous examples of how lean methodologies can be applied, the gains that can be achieved, and takes readers through a prescriptive process of implementation. The book is divided into 3 parts. Part I is specific to the topic of lean manufacturing, and explains exactly what lean is... as well as what it isn't. Part II addresses lean manufacturing in the oil industry in general, and refining in particular. It explains why lean is not the prevalent improvement strategy in refining, and why it's more likely to appear among the smaller companies first. It also explains the differences that petroleum refining brings to the lean model. Part III covers topics needed to understand how to implement, organize, and roll out a lean transformation from the top down. An affiliated website boasts tons of valuable information, including: Forms and evaluations for such topics as The 10 Lean Killers, The 6 Roll Out Errors, The 5 Precursors to a Lean Transformation, and more; Samples of working documents such as A3s, Leader Standard Work, and 5 supervisory tools, in both template form and completed; A comprehensive reading and reference list of nearly 500 resources, broken into topical material; Links to 3rd-party websites where readers can download e-forms and other related information. "Lonnie Wilson merges his extensive knowledge and experience of both lean manufacturing and refining in an easy-to-grasp way." -N. Brandon Hughes, ChEng & Energy MBA, Optimization & Production Analyst, YASREF an Aramco JV"No matter what your business, the principles identified in this book can positively change your company's operating and financial results-and your management skills.... I highly recommend it." -Eugene J. Voiland, Founding President & CEO (retired), Aera Energy, LLC"It is simply uncanny how he breaks down complexity to deliver valuable insight and, most importantly, solutions that work." -Jason Farley, Founder BridgeGap Consulting"I have found in Lonnie Wilson a rare combination of both passion for, and the ability to clearly communicate, the principles of continuous improvement." -Michael J. Wiseman, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt MJW Lean Consulting LLC"A 'must read' for all refinery employees, these are instructions on how to create a world-class re fining team." -R.R. Kooiman, PE"I wish I could have had the opportunity to have Lonnie teach and mentor me 25 years ago." -Fred Kaschak, Global Manufacturing Director, The Woodbridge Group"It is not just the best book on the subject; it is the only book. Lean Refining will change the industry forever." - Robert H. Simonis, Founder, KCE Consulting, Director of Rapid Improvement, CEVA Logistics, Lieutenant Colonel (retired), U.S. ArmyLonnie Wilson, a Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Six Sigma trainer, has been teaching and implementing Lean techniques for 40 years. His experience spans 20 years in manufacturing management with an international oil company. In 1990, he founded Quality Consultants, which teaches and applies Lean techniques to small entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 Firms, principally in the US, Mexico, and Canada. Mr. Wilson has taught for the El Paso Community College and the University of Texas at El Paso, and is an active Senior Member of the American Society for Quality Control. He has spoken at the iSixSigma annual Petroleum Energy Conferences, Industry Week, Honda Lean Suppliers Network, APICS, ASQ, and ARM (Association of Rotational Molders) Annual Conferences. Wilson is the author of the highly successful, How to Implement Lean Manufacturing, published by McGraw-Hill. Preface Introduction The Story of the Toyota Headrest Cell, the Theta Cell What Is Lean Manufacturing? Why Is Lean Manufacturing So Misunderstood? How Much Has Lean Penetrated the Refining Business? Where Will Lean First Appear in the Refining Industry? How Can Lean Benefit the Refining-Focused Businesses? What Differences Does Petroleum Refining Bring to Lean? The House of Lean Lean Manufacturing Foundational Issue-People Lean Manufacturing Foundational Issue-Process Stability Lean Manufacturing: The Quality Control Tools How Lean Has Worked in the Oil Business Distinguishing Lean from Other Improvement Methodologies Implementing the Lean Transformation.

Ths book examines the efforts made by the British government of the period to lessen its dependence on American oil supplies, the emergence of Venezuela as the largest single British oil supplier in the early 1930s, and the changing structure of the oil industry both in the US and Europe. It draws almost entirely on primary sources.

American dependence on foreign oil has long been described as a serious threat to U.S. national security, and continues to be a political flashpoint even as domestic fracking eases the US' reliance on imported energy. Oil and American Identity offers a fresh perspective on the subject by reframing 'energy dependency' as a cultural discourse with intimate connections to American views on independence, freedom, consumption, abundance, progress and American exceptionalism. Through a detailed reading of primary literature, Sebastian Herbstreuth also shows how the dangers of foreign oil are linked to American descriptions of foreign oil producers as culturally different und thus 'undependable'. Herbstreuth shows how even reliable imports from the Middle East are portrayed as dangerous and undesirable because this region is particularly 'foreign' from an American point of view, while oil from friendly countries like Canada is cast as a benign form of energy trade. Oil and American Identity rewrites the history of U.S. foreign oil dependence as a cultural history of the United States in the 20th century.

In the 2nd edition of The Acquisition & Divestiture of Petroleum Property, authors Jim Haag & Gene Wiggins have revised and expanded upon the insightful and comprehensive first edition. This book will be of value to anyone who wants to learn the industry standard steps needed to acquire or sell oil and gas property. The book now includes a new format and sections on: The consideration of geology in property analysis The determination of oil and gas reserves quantities by reservior engineering methods The assessments of property value The evaluation of exploratory opportunities The analysis of unconventional resources and reserves Updated market value from recent transactions A review of the challenges to acquire properties outside the U.S. Additional case histories .

The oil industry is the world's largest commercial enterprise. Its extent is global; international issues are consistently influenced by considerations of oil production and consumption, while the international communications networks of the larger oil companies rival those of many nations. In this, the eighth edition of Oil and World Power, published in 1986, Peter Odell explains the complexities of this gigantic empire and its influence on the world. The far-reaching chapters discuss the U.S.A, the Soviet Union, O.P.E.C., Japan and the oil-consuming countries of the developing world. Evaluating the changing patterns of oil supply and the dramatic fall in oil prices in 1986, Odell proposes a number of forward-thinking conclusions surrounding the relationship between oil in global politics and economic development. This is an exceptionally interesting and relevant work, of great value to those with an interest in the oil industry, global power and international economic development.

Winner of the 2014 Book of the Year Award from the Petroleum History Society! The importance of energy to the functioning of any economy has meant that energy industries are amongst the most regulated of industries. What might appear to be purely private decisions are made within a complex and evolving web of government regulations. Petropolitics: Petroleum Development, Markets and Regulations, Alberta as an Illustrative History provides an economic history of the petroleum industry in Alberta as well as a detailed analysis of the operation of the markets for Alberta oil and natural gas, and the main governmental regulations (apart from environmental regulations) faced by the industry. The tools used within this study are applicable to oil and gas industries throughout the world.

Oil and gas are important to every aspect of our economy, yet the oil and gas industry is distinguished by its combination of increasing demands and decreasing discovery volumes--and it is an industry shrouded in an environment of extremely volatile pricing. Although the profits enjoyed by the oil and gas industry are enormous, the industry remains one of the most capital-intensive in a world where rising expenses continue to threaten to squeeze profit margins. Geopolitics may continue to be the most important variable in maintaining existing assets and in successfully achieving new discoveries and carrying out their subsequent development. But finding new oil and gas reserves is becoming more challenging and the places where hydrocarbons are being found are more remote. Thus technology advances are also a key variable to enable exploration, drilling and development to become economically feasible in some of these more difficult operating environments. For the last century oil and gas additions have exceeded demand but has this industry now reached a "peak oil" situation? Some experts argue we are on the cusp of maximum oil production while others suggest we are still about a decade away. Natural gas demand however, is rising at a slightly faster rate than oil. Natural gas may be the immediate replacement fuel for oil as a source of clean and efficient electric power generation. Three out of the top ten Fortune 500 companies were oil/gas companies in 2011. This short introduction to the oil and gas industry will focus on history, operations, major companies, outside market forces, regulation and the current challenges the industry faces. Such factors as finite natural resources, the environment, economics, geopolitics, and technology will all come into play in the narrative. The book will demonstrate how the leaders of this industry, former champions of progress, are now coming under scrutiny and being depicted as the biggest culprits of environmental degradation. Yet the industry is likely to continue to grow until some form of alternate fuels is developed. The oil and gas industry will continue to have an enormous impact on life on the planet.

American International Oil Policy offers an insight into the political mechanics of American international oil policy in the long decade from 1973 to early 1986, when oil prices were highly priced. It is furthermore the intention of the author to delineate the link from United States policy to the political organization of the international oil system. Written at a time when oil prices had recently shrunk, this book makes valuable and timely reading for those interested in the topic at a time when oil prices have sky-rocketed again. The book provides a fascinating insight into the effects of oil policy and pricing on American political life.

They were a band of outsiders unable to get jobs with New York's gilded financial establishment. They would go on to build the world's multitrillion-dollar oil market, reaping unimaginable riches while bringing the economy to its knees. Meet the self-anointed kings of the New York Mercantile Exchange, the place where global oil prices are set to this day. In some ways, they are everything you would expect them to be: a secretive, members-only club of men and women who live lavish lifestyles; cavort with politicians, strippers, and celebrities; and blissfully jack up oil prices while profiting off the misery of the working class. In other ways, they are nothing you can imagine: many come from working-class families themselves. The progeny of Jewish, Irish, and Italian immigrants who escaped war-torn Europe, they take pride in flagrantly spurning Wall Street. Under the thumb of an all-powerful international oil cartel, the energy market had long eluded the grasp of America's hungry capitalists. Neither the oil royalty of Houston nor the titans of Wall Street had ever succeeded in fully wresting away control. But facing extinction, the rough-and - tumble traders of this tribe-led by the reluctant son of a produce merchant - went after Big Oil and won, creating the world's first free oil market and minting billions across decades of treachery and glory. Their stunning journey from poverty to prosperity belies the brutal and violent history that is their legacy. This is the real-life story both Washington and Wall Street don't want you to read.

China's rapid economic growth has led to a huge increase in its domestic energy needs. This book provides a critical overview of how China's growing need for oil imports is shaping its international economic and diplomatic strategy and how this affects global political relations and behaviour. Part One is focused on the domestic drivers of energy policy: it provides a systematic account of recent trends in China's energy sector and assesses the context and processes of energy policy making, and concludes by showing how and why China's oil industry has spread across the world in the last fifteen years. Part Two analyses the political and foreign policy implications of this energy-driven expansion and the challenges this potentially poses for China's integration into the international system. It examines a number of factors linked to this integration in the energy field, including the unpredictabilities of internal policymaking; China's determination to promote its own critical national interests, and the general ambition of the Chinese leadership to integrate with the international system on its own terms and at its own speed. The highly topical book draws together the various dimensions of China's international energy strategy, and provides insights into the impact of this on China's growing international presence in various parts of the world.