Toggle menu
Toggle personal menu
Not logged in
Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits.

Petroleum politics: Difference between revisions

From ProleWiki, the proletarian encyclopedia
More languages
(Table)
Tag: Visual edit
(Top oil countries)
Tag: Visual edit
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Petroleum politics''' have been an increasingly important aspect of diplomacy since the rise of the [[petroleum industry]] in the [[Middle East]] in the early 20th century. As competition continues for a vital resource, the strategic calculations of major and minor countries alike place prominent emphasis on the pumping, refining, transport, sale and use of petroleum products.
'''Petroleum politics''' have been an increasingly important aspect of diplomacy since the rise of the [[petroleum industry]] in the [[Middle East]] in the early 20th century. As competition continues for a vital resource, the strategic calculations of major and minor countries alike place prominent emphasis on the pumping, refining, transport, sale and use of petroleum products.


In 1950, the seven main energy companies were [[BP]], [[Chevron]], [[Exxon]], [[Gulf Oil|Gulf]], [[Mobil]], [[Shell]], and [[Texaco]]. Together, they controlled 85% of global oil production.<ref name=":122">{{Citation|author=[[Vijay Prashad]]|year=2008|title=The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World|chapter=Caracas|page=|pdf=https://cloudflare-ipfs.com/ipfs/bafykbzaceascnzh26r5d6uitjjs2z7rflhaxlt7rboz5whzdf76qg6xxvecqq?filename=%28A%20New%20Press%20People%27s%20history%29%20Vijay%20Prashad%20-%20The%20darker%20nations_%20a%20people%27s%20history%20of%20the%20third%20world-The%20New%20Press%20%282008%29.pdf|publisher=The New Press|isbn=9781595583420|lg=https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=9B40B96E830128A7FE0E0E887C06829F}}</ref><sup>:178</sup>
In 1950, the seven main energy companies were [[BP]], [[Chevron]], [[Exxon]], [[Gulf Oil|Gulf]], [[Mobil]], [[Shell]], and [[Texaco]]. Together, they controlled 85% of global oil production.<ref name=":122">{{Citation|author=[[Vijay Prashad]]|year=2008|title=The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World|chapter=Caracas|page=|pdf=https://cloudflare-ipfs.com/ipfs/bafykbzaceascnzh26r5d6uitjjs2z7rflhaxlt7rboz5whzdf76qg6xxvecqq?filename=%28A%20New%20Press%20People%27s%20history%29%20Vijay%20Prashad%20-%20The%20darker%20nations_%20a%20people%27s%20history%20of%20the%20third%20world-The%20New%20Press%20%282008%29.pdf|publisher=The New Press|isbn=9781595583420|lg=https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=9B40B96E830128A7FE0E0E887C06829F}}</ref><sup>:178</sup> The top five oil-producing countries in 1960 were [[Islamic Republic of Iran|Iran]], [[Republic of Iraq|Iraq]], [[State of Kuwait|Kuwait]], [[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabia]], and [[Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela|Venezuela]], which together exported 82% of the world's oil supply.<ref name=":122" /><sup>:184</sup>


In 1980, many countries relied on oil for the majority of their export revenues:
In 1980, many countries relied on oil for the majority of their export revenues:
Line 19: Line 19:
|-
|-
|[[Kingdom of Bahrain|Bahrain]]
|[[Kingdom of Bahrain|Bahrain]]
|[[Islamic Republic of Iran|Iran]]
|Iran
|[[Republic of the Congo|Congo]]
|[[Republic of the Congo|Congo]]
|[[Republic of Ecuador|Ecuador]]
|[[Republic of Ecuador|Ecuador]]
|
|
|-
|-
|[[Republic of Iraq|Iraq]]
|Iraq
|[[Islamic Republic of Mauritania|Mauritania]]
|[[Islamic Republic of Mauritania|Mauritania]]
|
|
Line 36: Line 36:
|
|
|-
|-
|[[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabia]]
|Saudi Arabia
|[[State of Kuwait|Kuwait]]
|Kuwait
|
|
|
|
Line 48: Line 48:
|
|
|-
|-
|[[Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela|Venezuela]]
|Venezuela
|
|
|
|

Revision as of 21:42, 27 June 2023

Petroleum politics have been an increasingly important aspect of diplomacy since the rise of the petroleum industry in the Middle East in the early 20th century. As competition continues for a vital resource, the strategic calculations of major and minor countries alike place prominent emphasis on the pumping, refining, transport, sale and use of petroleum products.

In 1950, the seven main energy companies were BP, Chevron, Exxon, Gulf, Mobil, Shell, and Texaco. Together, they controlled 85% of global oil production.[1]:178 The top five oil-producing countries in 1960 were Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela, which together exported 82% of the world's oil supply.[1]:184

In 1980, many countries relied on oil for the majority of their export revenues:

Percentage of export revenue from oil (1980)[1]:181–2
Over 90% 81–90% 71–80% 61–70% 51–60%
Algeria Gabon Angola Brunei Tunisia
Bahrain Iran Congo Ecuador
Iraq Mauritania Egypt
Nigeria Syria Mexico
Saudi Arabia Kuwait
UAE Trinidad and Tobago
Venezuela
Yemen

Journalist Pepe Escobar has written extensively about "Pipelinistan" i.e. the geopolitical situation surrounding the various "-stan" countries in the Middle East as it relates to oil and natural gas pipelines.[2][3]

America

Venezuela

Oil production in Venezuela doubled in the 1950s after Mexico nationalized oil in 1938. In 1957 alone, the top seven oil companies made $828 million in Venezuela. The Democratic Action party, which came to power in 1958, sought to nationalize some oil profits.[1]:177–80

Asia

Afghanistan

In 2018, even prior to taking state power in 2021, the Taliban vowed to protect the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) gas pipeline.[4]

Syrian Civil War

Syria proposed pipelines

In addition to the fact that the Syrian Arab Republic is an anti-imperialist state led by a Ba'athist political party, petroleum politics also contribute to the strife in Syria, as indicated by this map of competing pipelines.[5]

Xinjiang, China

In addition to the Xinjiang region's geostrategic importance to China's economic development project, the Belt and Road Initiative, Xinjiang also has immense oil wealth.[6][7]

Europe

Nord Stream 2

The German-Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline has been suspended at the behest of the US imperialists who wish to sell their Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) to Germany and prevent Russian access to European gas markets.[8]

References