University of Dundee set to lead global resource study

A STUDY into the challenges presented by global competition for access to oil, gas and mineral resources will be led by a Scottish university.

The European-wide research aims to identify the main global challenges relating to competition for access to resources and propose new approaches to solutions.

The project will be co-ordinated by the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP) at the University of Dundee and is funded by a 2.7m grant from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme.

Project co-ordinator Professor Philip Andrews-Speed, from CEPMLP, said: "This project is very timely. Though the fear of depletion of critical energy and mineral resources is not a new phenomenon, the last decade of sustained economic growth across the world has reinforced this concern.

"High commodity prices and fears of future shortages tend to raise tensions and stimulate conflict. As resource-importing nations struggle to secure their supplies, so resource-exporting nations seek to enhance their bargaining power.

"Importing countries compete with each other rather than co-operate in efforts to secure supplies whilst within resource-rich countries conflicts may arise as different parties seek to gain the benefits of the additional revenues."

The project, which is titled competition and collaboration in access to oil, gas and mineral resources, will run for three years from January 2010.

Partners in the project, which will aid policy makers, includes the University of Westminster in London, the Gulf Research Centre Foundation in Switzerland and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France.