Emergence of geopolitical hotspots in oil zones

Abstract

Due to the continuous increase in population of our planet, as well as the rapid industrial development of a number of large and densely populated countries, the demand for oil as the main source of energy will only grow. Since oil is a non-renewable natural resource, and nine out of ten sources of oil have already been discovered and put under exploitation, only one question remains: when will the oil disappear? This is why a large number of authors address the issue of the 'peak oil'. This term describes the moment when oil production reaches its peak, or its highest possible value. After that, a continuing decline in the exploitation and production is to begin, which will end up with the complete depletion of all reserves on the planet. According to the analyzed indicators, we are just witnessing the 'peak oil', which affects the price of crude oil. As of 2000 until today it has increased six times in the world market. High profits are attracting the growing interest of leading geopolitical players and big capital to control or to increase the exploitation of this resource. In the long run, this may destabilize the seven oil zones - geopolitical hotspots - and lead to conflicts between the key geopolitical players.

Keywords

• oil
• peak oil
• oil zones
• geopolitical hotspots