John Erik Fossum explores the reasons for the federal government's intervention in the energy industry between 1973 and 1984 and shows how its initial objectives failed, culminating in the privatization of Petro-Canada in 1990.

The Niger-Delta region is prone to conflicts and restiveness as a consequence of oil activities and under development, which, ultimately induce poverty. Oil, Democracy and the Promise of True Federalism in Nigeria attempts to demonstrate this unfortunate byproduct of federalism in Nigeria. Calling for resource control and the practice of True Federalism, the contributors of this volume identify some of the major endemic problems for the Niger-Delta people. It is in this light, that the contributors have presented the contending views on the challenges and opportunities on Nigeria's path towards the practice of True Federalism. Offering solution ideas for Niger-Delta development and the promotion of a peaceful coexistence, this comprehensive volume proposes hopeful, yet powerful arguments for the Niger-Delta region.

Oil wealth and Federal Conflict in American Petrofederations documents the critical relationship between oil rents and federal conflicts by illustrating key concepts with six representative cross-regional case studies. Each case study discusses encompasses qualitative, quantitative and comparative elements under a common structure. With each petrofederation ranging in conflict types and modalities, the work as a whole identifies key differences including oil rent decentralization (in terms of resource property, sector management and distribution of revenues), sectoral importance (considered at national and subnational levels), and federation redistribution policy (in terms of fiscal federal imbalance, fiscal equalization, and oil rent use for regional equity). Collectively, the book generalizes a consistent theory of causality between oil rents and federal conflicts that take into account systemic variables. The book's conclusions will serve as a guide for researchers and policymakers seeking pathways to translate oil rents into development and stability. - Reviews the intimate relationship between the oil sector and its governance in the political system - Provides comparative analysis of the regulation, political institutions, rent decentralization, sectoral importance, and rent redistributive policies in the oil sector - Generalizes approaches to the causality between oil rents and federal conflicts, including implications for policymakers

Taking Nigeria as a case study, this book examines how the various issues involved in fiscal federalism in a developing country are handled.

Fidelis Allen situates violent conflict in the Niger Delta in the context of failure by government to effectively implement relevant oil-related environmental policies intended to achieve sustainable development, arguing that oil and environment-related conflicts in the region are reflections of this failure. This failure is premised on the notion that the goal of sustainable development, as clearly outlined in Nigeria’s National Environmental Policy and implied in various other policies, can be pursued through the activities of government, individuals and business organisations that are capable of engendering economic and social progress for communities that depend on the environment for their survival. In fact, available evidence shows that government and oil company activities (or failures to act) actually contribute to the despoliation of the environment in the Niger Delta. Despite existing environmental legislations and guidelines, unsafe waste disposal, flaring of gas and oil spillage remain key features of oil industry operations in the Niger Delta. Not surprisingly, the book highlights a lack of synergy between government and oil company activities, and the attainment of sustainable development as a key goal of the environmental policy of the government. In other words, the activities of the government and oil companies do not sufficiently promote sustainable development. The net consequence is reflected in the frustrations of local justice and environmental movement groups about the political processes which deter (rather than enable) their agitation for improvements in local living conditions and development in the Niger Delta. Over time, those frustrations begin to manifest at different levels, including aggressive and violent behaviours against oil companies and government security agencies for their contributory roles.

Considers the recovery development and promotion of oil shale and associated minerals from the Green River formation in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.

Discusses possibility of large oil company monopolization of oil shale development in the Rocky Mountains.

The Nigerian state has been oil-rich for decades, and yet perennially incapable of converting its oil resources into wealth for ordinary Nigerians. Adeoye O. Akinola tackles this “vexed” oil question by examining the political economy of efforts to deregulate the Nigerian downstream oil industry. Focusing on themes of globalization and democratization, this book considers how a resource-rich developing country like Nigeria can exploit the opportunities of globalization and navigate the pressures of democratization and the challenges of liberalization. Pairing sophisticated theoretical frameworks with firsthand accounts from actors in the oil industry, this book identifies the root causes of Nigeria’s development struggles and offers practical policy solutions for successfully deregulating the oil sector. For public officials and policymakers as well as researchers, this book offers a critical new lens on the future of natural resource management in Nigeria and the Global South.

This book explains how and why large oil-producing corporations have affected government institutions, energy policy, and politics in the United States—and suggests how their influence can be reduced. Big oil is the leading factor in U.S. energy politics today; the largest oil-producing companies also constitute a formidable force and interest group in American politics. This book examines why oil is so important and how the prominence of huge corporations—often working in the absence of countervailing forces—has affected government institutions, policy (with a focus on energy policy), and politics in the United States. Analyzing big oil's influence on political outcomes, particularly through campaign contributions and lobbying, this book shows how strong corporate power affects political participation. The book documents how the influence of big oil flows in all directions, intricately connecting U.S. policies at all levels—foreign policy, federal, state, and even local—regarding oil exploration, development, production, and transportation. Readers will come away with a clear understanding of how these multi-tiered relationships between oil corporations and governments work to the advantage of corporations—and to the disadvantage of states and the citizens they represent.