The world has changed and evolved variedly since the discovery of oil as a source of energy. And for the most of this evolution, world has exploited and processed oil in more than a thousand ways. The diverse utilities of oil are as magnanimous as water, but its scarce availability makes it a fiercely contested resource. A commodity, which has both political and economic implications. A fuel that holds the infamy of igniting wars more than all other geological resources combined. Even in today's peacetime, the tussle over it continues. International law has failed to reign the abrasive and ugly fight of oil that has ranged over decades. This book holistically analyzes "oil" on the pedestals of politics, economy and law, citing its unmatched relevance to the global discourse.

"When and why does international order change? Easy to take for granted, international governing arrangements shape our world. They allow us to eat food imported from other countries, live safely from nuclear war, travel to foreign cities, profit from our savings, and much else. New threats, including climate change and simmering US-China hostility, lead many to worry that the "liberal order," or the US position within it, is at risk. Theorists often try to understand that situation by looking at other cases of great power decline, like the British Empire or even ancient Athens. Yet so much is different about those cases that we can draw only imperfect lessons from them. A better approach is to look at how the United States itself already lost much of its international dominance, in the 1970s, in the realm of oil. Only now, with several decades of hindsight, can we fully appreciate it. The experiences of that partial decline in American hegemony, and the associated shifts in oil politics, can teach us a lot about general patterns of international order. Leaders and analysts can apply those lessons when seeking to understand or design new international governing arrangements on topics ranging from climate change to peacekeeping, and nuclear proliferation to the global energy transition"--

"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...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 book reviews and examines the relevant portions of all international treaties, cases and the national law and practice of states, in relation to international aspects of offshore oil rigs. By doing so, it offers an understanding of the legal regime surrounding oil rigs and formulates an international law framework. It investigates the issues under consideration by analyzing provisions of international law pertaining to all aspects of oil rigs, as well as international treaties and their travaux preparatoires. It also examines the national legislation of major offshore oil and gas producers and defines a framework of customary international entities such as the OSPAR and the petroleum industries of certain major offshore oil producers. Based upon the book's findings, it is clear that in spite of their increasing importance, offshore oil installations are subject to fragmentary and vague legal rules under international law.

From Simon & Schuster, Energy and World Politics is Mason Willrich's fascinating study as published under the auspices of The American Society of International Law. As said by Walter C. Clements, Jr. of Perspective, Energy and World Politics offers a comprehensive and yet incisive introduction to the political, economic, and environmental aspects of global energy problems."