As George Anderson writes in the introduction to this groundbreaking volume, "Federalism and petroleum resources can be a volatile mixture." The world's federal countries account for roughly half of the world's total annual production of oil and natural gas, which stand alone among natural resources in their economic and political impact. How such federations as Brazil, Canada, Russia, and Venezuela - among others - manage both the benefits and challenges of possessing large reserves of oil and gas will play an enormous part in determining how the twenty-first century unfolds.

Oil and Gas in Federal Systems, the first book-length work of its kind, draws on the contributions of twenty-four respected scholars in the areas of petroleum policy and federal systems, examining in detail oil and gas management and revenue regimes in a dozen key federations: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, the United States, and Venezuela. The history and development of each country's oil and gas industry is placed within the broader context of that nation's overall economic and political development.

The overall result is a unique examination of the economic and political consequences of the world's reliance on fossil fuels that, as the century progresses, are likely to be in increasing demand - and ever shorter supply.

George Anderson's profile page

George Anderson, President Emeritus of the Forum of Federations, served as Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and of Intergovernmental Affairs in the Government of Canada. He studied at Queen's, Oxford, and the Ecole nationale d'administration in Paris and on sabbatical at Harvard. He is the author of Federalism: An Introduction and Fiscal Federalism: An Introduction, and editor of Internal Markets and Multi-level Governance.

"This very welcome study provides unique insight into how federal systems manage - or mismanage - petroleum, as well as the political and economic forces that petroleum influence. Anderson and his co-authors offer important lessons about politics, regulations, and money." --Karin Lissakers, director, the Revenue Watch Institute

"This valuable volume tells the little-known but important story of oil and gas in twelve federal systems that have significant petroleum resources. It explains the ownership, control, and revenue arrangements and presents surprising conclusions about how national governments on one side and states and provinces on the other interact with each other. Its comparative approach and original perspective add considerably to our understanding of the interplay of oil and politics in federal settings - and of how resources get developed and the benefits are shared." --Daniel Yergin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World and The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power

"This valuable volume tells the little-known but important story of oil and gas in twelve federal systems that have significant petroleum resources. It explains the ownership, control, and revenue arrangements and presents surprising conclusions about how national governments, on one side, and states and provinces, on the other, interact with each other. Its comparative approach and original perspective add considerably to our understanding of the interplay of oil and politics in federal settings-and of how resources get developed and the benefits are shared." --Daniel Yergin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World and The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power