The Nature Of Petroleum Licenses

This innovative book explores the legal character of petroleum licences, a key vehicle governing the relationship between oil companies and their host states. Examining the issue through the lens of legal culture, it illustrates why some jurisdictions exert strong state control and others only minimal. Critically investigating the nature of a petroleum licence, the book analyses whether it is a mere administrative right, a contract or something more akin to property rights. Chapters examine recent developments, such as the UK's strategy of maximizing economic recovery and the opposition to drilling for oil in Norway and Australia. Outside of Western petroleum jurisdictions, the book also explores several long-established jurisdictions including Russia and Mexico, as well as emerging jurisdictions, such as China and Uganda. Taking a contextual and system-oriented approach, it reveals the preconditions of the petroleum licence regime and offers a critical insight into the reasons behind alterations to the terms of the licences. Encompassing a wide variety of legal cultures and experiences, this thought-provoking book will prove to be a valuable resource for academics and students of energy law, particularly those with an interest in state regulation. It will also provide useful insights for industry-based practitioners.

This detailed work is based on more than ten years experience in conducting tenders for the licensing of petroleum prospective acreage on behalf of a number of sovereign governments in Europe, Africa and the former Soviet Union. It explains the processes of licensing from the points of view of the two main protagonists, the government bodies and the international oil companies. The book also gives due prominence to the interests of the host communities and to the environment, as well as to the neighbouring states and the other participants who may be affected by the licensing process. In the modern world petroleum licensing takes place in the full glare of attention from the press and from public opinion. This work breaks new ground in recommending ways in which government and the oil companies may devise best practice in licensing to serve the interest of all parties and also an ethical business environment.

This discerning and comprehensive work will be a useful entry point for students embarking on study in petroleum law. Academics will find this timely examination to be an indispensible overview of upstream operations. Practitioners will find this book

This innovative book explores the legal character of petroleum licences, a key vehicle governing the relationship between oil companies and their host states. Examining the issue through the lens of legal culture, it illustrates why some jurisdictions exert strong state control and others only minimal.

Regulating Offshore Petroleum Resources examines the main regulatory characteristics of the Norwegian and the British models for petroleum exploration, production and supply. The authors explore to what extent these models are relevant for the design of regulatory models in countries with significant existing petroleum resources. The applicability of these regulatory models to countries with potential petroleum resources is also assessed.