Oil Security Research, Theoretical And Practical Issues

Petroleum is a vital global strategic resource. It is the source of fortune for producer, the industrial blood for consumers, the necessary energy resource for world economy development, and the Petroleum Supply Security is the requisite for energy security & national security and defense. After the experience of oil crisis of 1970s, almost all the countries treat energy security as the core business of energy strategy. Petroleum Supply Security is a hot issue for all countries, including China. Therefore, it be worthy of theory and empirical study. China has been lagged behind in this aspect and systematic research results are quite few. This dissertation focuses on this point.According to some experts, other kinds of energy like coal and gas cannot substitute oil under current technology condition. Oil would still be the main energy resource for humanities in the next coming 30 years. Influenced by the trend of globalization, the relationship among oil, world economy, politics, diplomacy and military has been strengthened. The international competition regarding oil is becoming much fiercer.Under the circumstance of world petroleum security, the demand for oil is increasing progressively; the increment of supply is insufficient; the reserve/production ratio decreases; the struggle of oil geopolitics is increasingly fierce; the security of transportation is notable; the situation of multiple demand-supply presents progressively; the uncertain factors for world oil price enhance. The U.S. ability for controlling world oil market is strengthened markedly after the Iraq War. How to solve the energy cooperation relationship between the U.S.A becomes a vital issue for consumer countries. Currently and hereafter, it could be certain that world petroleum security conceals more complex factors, although the trend is eased up as a whole. Energy consuming countries face more choices in the process of overseas cooperation. However, the energy diplomacy is becoming more complex and the variances increase. As a result, the international energy cooperation should be considered overall.Since the beginning of Reformation and Open Door Policy in China, the economy is developing rapidly. China is playing an important role in international economy and trade. The petroleum demand increased steadily with the evolution of industrialization and urbanization. The oil import is going up year after year since China became an oil net import country in 1993, the amount rising from 22.62 million ton in 1996 to 0.127 billion ton in 2005. Chinese national economy will increase by around 7% in future coming 15 years. It is estimated that oil demand will go up...