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BOOK REVIEW
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LEAD Journal (Law, Environment and Development Journal)
is a peer-reviewed academic publication based in New Delhi and London and jointly managed by the
Law, Environment and Development Centre of SOAS University of London
and the International Environmental Law Research Centre (IELRC).
LEAD is published at www.lead-journal.org
info@lead-journal.org
ISSN 1746-5893
BOOK REVIEW
John A.P. Chandler, Petroleum Resource Management: instead, is an in-depth study of licensing arrangements
How Governments Manage Their Offshore Petroleum and their specificities, producing a richly detailed work
Resources (Edward Elgar 2018) with useful practical implications for those working
within the field of petroleum resource management.
Effective natural resource management requires a The analysis is layered with insights from field
robust legal framework. In carefully comparing and interviews with various stakeholders in the three
analysing the petroleum licensing systems of three jurisdictions.
select jurisdictions, Chandler sheds light on changes
adopted to deal with exploration, development, Although licensing agreements form the central
infrastructure sharing and production of offshore analytical theme for the research, the chapter focussing
petroleum resources. This book adds to the growing on the license agreements quickly concludes that there
literature examining natural resource allocation, is no significant difference in the licensing practices
economics and policy from multiple perspectives - adopted by the three countries. In essence, they grant
improved governance, efficiency, environmental licenses that confer exclusive rights to conduct
concerns, social impacts and now, licensing petroleum operations in license areas that are mapped
arrangements. It is also timely as governments rejig on the surface and a single production licence permits
their resource governance frameworks against the exploration, development and production activities.
backdrop of changing energy needs, depleting Only Australia has a separate prior licence for
resources, climate change concerns and falling prices. exploration. The processes for the marketing and issue
of licences also have broad similarities. They invite
The legal architecture in the form of regulatory policy, applications through a formal competitive process
institutions and licensing arrangements have a called a licensing round (or in Australia an average
powerful bearing on performance of mineral release). More significant differences can be found in
production. This book is the result of a research project the size of licence areas and the terms and conditions
initiated against the backdrop of major offshore of licence.
producing basins reaching maturation in Australia
(Bass Strait in Gippsland Basin), the Norwegian While there are many similarities, significant differences
Continental Shelf and the UK Continental Shelf. The also emerge in other areas such as the impact of the
changing maturity of the oil fields present a set of political structure on resource management (Australia
dilemmas carefully examined by country reports, which being a federal structure); the social benefit principle
are extensively analysed by the author. The research incorporated in Norway’s legislation which is
confirms the author’s hypotheses that the problem significantly different from the focus on the Prudent
of interdependence which emerges from the special Production Principle and the UK system which has a
geology of petroleum and the means of production, clear focus on maximising economic recovery. Perhaps
as being critical for states to consider in their governance the most insightful chapters in the book are the ones
regimes and conflict management. that deal with regulation, regulatory structures and
resource rent value and stewardship. Major changes to
The book can be read in three distinct parts – chapters regulatory structures effected in all three jurisdictions
dealing with the broader framework of regulatory in recent years ensure role clarity. In all three
structures, regulators, resource management policy; jurisdictions, different regulators manage occupational
chapters dealing with licences and production sharing health and safety and management of the resource.
contracts with a specific focus on exploration, The two primary drivers for these regulatory changes
development, production and infrastructure and the are recognition that conflict of interest in regulatory
final set of chapters that examine critical issues of functions must be avoided and that specialist
resource rent, value and stewardship, efficient economic government expertise is required in relation to oil and
recovery, good oilfield practice. The book does not gas activities.
attempt to provide an analytical or theoretical frame to
the comparative study, nor does the work locate the Peppered through-out the research are several
comparative study in the broader global context of interesting issues that remain underexplored in the
mineral resource management. What the book offers analysis such as the implications for governance the
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Book Review: Petroleum Resource Management: How Governments Manage Their Offshore Petroleum Resources
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LEAD Journal (Law, Environment and Development Journal) is jointly managed by the
Law, Environment and Development Centre, SOAS University of London
soas.ac.uk/ledc
and the International Environmental Law Research Centre (IELRC)
ielrc.org