Global Energy Markets: Changes in the Strategic Landscape

The impact of the changing global strategic landscape on energy markets is being felt across the world, and is the subject of ongoing debate within industry and governments alike. These changes not only affect the evolution of oil markets and their influence on production rates and pricing, but also a host of other factors, including energy security, the effects of global economic crises, and the growing market presence of Arabian Gulf producers, both in terms of their conventional reserves and their development of alternative and renewable sources. The ECSSR 17th Annual Energy Conference, Global Energy Markets: Changes in the Strategic Landscape, held at the Center on November 1–2, 2011, and the papers compiled in this volume as a result, provide a variety of informed views on these trends and their consequences for both producers and consumers in the Middle East and elsewhere. The effects of geostrategic developments on energy markets and the formulation of energy policies in the GCC states and abroad are explored in detail, as are the economic viability and outlook of renewable energy sources, both in light of CO2 emissions constraints and the involvement of Gulf hydrocarbon producers in the development of renewables. The potential benefits and risks of nuclear energy production are explored, as is public sentiment toward nuclear development worldwide—particularly following recent events in Japan, the repercussions of which continue to be felt both in politics and industry. The ongoing effects of the global economic crisis are also discussed, particularly with reference to their consequences for energy markets worldwide.