| The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the oil industry in Iran from the early discovery of oil nearly two hundred years ago in Mazandaran (north part of Iran) to the development of a giant modern industry in the Twentieth century. Iran was the first nation to develop an oil industry in the Middle East. Iran's oil resources are of vital importance to the Iranian economy. But the true measure of the impact of the industry on the economy is the employment of the oil earnings in planned national development expenditure.;Chapter II discusses the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry and creation of NIOC in 1951 and the international political and economic implication of these activities. The Consortium agreement and the companies making up the consortium, range of operations, method of operations, joint venture agreements, joint venture companies, and the structure of oil industry are all discussed.;Chapter III explains the activities of NIOC in Iran. Exploration and drilling, production, exports, refineries, natural gas, petrochemicals and internal distributions are studied.;Chapter IV discusses the role of oil in the development planning of Iran. A brief presentation of the First Development Plan through the Fifth Development Plan is given. Sources and uses of funds by plan organization during these Five Plans is studied. The Iran and Iraq War is also studied briefly but the uncertainty of its resolution prevents any close analysis of its impact on the Iranian oil industry. One conclusion, however, is certain; oil has been a vital resource in Iran's past and it will remain the lifeline of its economic development in the future.;Chapter I presents a brief historical setting to introduce the reader to the importance of oil in Iran. It focuses on the economic implications of the early oil concessions in the period 1901-1951. |
