The Oil and the Middle East Programme of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies was established in 2009. It is dedicated to the advanced study of contemporary oil markets, production, consumption and policy. With a historical focus on the resource-rich economies of the Middle East, research on the Programme has expanded to include major non-OPEC producing regions such as North America and Russia, and emerging energy markets such as China and India.
This research stream encompasses the study of oil price cycles, evolution of pricing benchmarks, behaviour of oil market participants, the impact of new supply sources on market dynamics, producer-consumer relations, and international oil and product trade flows.
Research under this stream relates to the economic prospects for conventional and unconventional production in the world’s major producing economies as well as newly emerging provinces, and includes the Middle East, Africa, North America and Russia. It covers topics such as the evolution of fiscal regimes.
The programme’s third main research stream focuses on emerging centres of energy demand outside traditional OECD energy consumers. Research under this stream analyses demand and supply patterns in emerging energy markets, including Russia, India, China, Latin America and Africa.
The fourth key area of research concentrates on the management of natural resource wealth within resource-rich economies, including resource-based development strategies and economic growth, distribution of natural resource rents, challenges related to domestic demand growth, diversification, and the deployment of renewables.
Research is disseminated via a dedicated research paper series, short energy comments and contributions to academic journals and specialised publications, in addition to a book series published by Oxford University Press. Members of programme staff have also been involved in a range of international collaborative publications, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Energy Forum (IEF). The Programme’s research group is composed of core staff, and draws on a network of external contributors from a wide range of disciplinary and professional backgrounds.
Since October 2018 Saudi Aramco has used the DME Oman daily settlement price in its pricing formula for Asian customers. The DME Oman futures contract settles daily, based on a weighted average of trades between 16.25 and 16.30 Singapore time (often referred to as a ‘window’). In line with the usual timing of Asian oil […]
Iraq has been a key contributor to OPEC liquids growth, with IOCs in southern Iraq having added approximately 1.7–1.8 mb/d (million barrels per day) in the period 2011–16. With renewed focus on medium-heavy sour markets in light of OPEC output policy, geopolitical supply-side disruptions and Asian refining dynamics, Iraq’s future role in oil markets is […]
One of the major features of the latest oil price cycle has been the strengthened relationship and close coordination between two of the world’s largest oil producers: Russia and Saudi Arabia. This presentation analyses the evolution of Russia-Saudi Arabia oil relations and the prospects of this relationship from a Saudi perspective, by answering the following […]
Economic diversification has been a continuous topic of debate in the MENA economies. However, of late a sense of urgency has arisen around it due to two factors; rapid structural changes in global oil markets and structural shifts in oil trade flows, and, assertions around ‘peak demand’ with the world on the brink of another […]
Confronted with slowing demand for crude oil, NOCs are increasingly diversifying from the upstream and investing in the downstream sector both in their home markets and in consuming countries to ensure market share. Already more than 75 percent of Gulf NOC oil exports are destined for Asian markets, and more than 70 percent of new […]
It is often implied that economic adjustments and structural reforms are very difficult in the context of rentier economies. Yet recent experience shows that in response to the declines in oil price and uncertainties surrounding oil markets, GCC countries have been able to introduce some limited reforms with relative ease and, so far, without much […]
We are interested in hearing from students and researchers working on oil and the Middle East academically worldwide. For information about the programme and questions, please email;
OIES's @thierry_bros shares his views with @ICIS_energy "... investors need low cost LNG to guarantee profitability… https://t.co/eFnRD0ovAa
November 14th
Russia’s gas pivot to Asia https://t.co/FIQFDGJnGR
November 14th
As Denmark is considering its decision in respect of #NordStream2 permit, @katyafimava made a presentation about th… https://t.co/9ePnZ2SzST
November 13th
