Natural Gas: Governments and Oil Companies in the Third World

This book is about the political economy of natural resources in the third world. It deals with the problems which hinder the development of natural gas; a major yet under-exploited resource in many developing countries. It focuses in particular on the uneasy relationship between governments and international oil companies, and examines the many facets of this relationship: the objectives, the conflicts of interest, the institutional and political constraints on the behaviour of these partners. It addresses the problems of mistrust and corruption, and examines practical ways in which the different objectives and interests of companies and their governments can be reconciled to their mutual advantage.

The first section of the book describes the features of natural gas which distinguish it from other energy resources such as oil, coal, nuclear, biomass and hydro power. It addresses the thorny issues of how to promote markets for gas within the developing countries and how to plan the gas projects. There is an important discussion of the problems which beset governments and companies in negotiations over contracts, taxation, pricing policies and the repatriation of profits.

Content

A. Issues and Policies

1. Gas in Developing Countries: Reserves, Competing Fuels, Markets and the Behaviour of Energy Prices

2. Governments and Companies

3. The Problems of Volume, Price and Rent

4. Planning and Financing a Gas Project

5. Conclusion

B. Country Studies

6. Argentina

7. Egypt

8. Malaysia

9. Nigeria

10. Pakistan

11. Tanzania

12. Thailand

13. Tunisia