Research Themes

Below are the main research areas of the Centre:

Topics related to global extractive industries

1) Comparing various economic policy models for managing extractive industries and suggesting ways of improving institutional quality in commodity-exporting economies;
 
2) Using the lessons of the “shale revolution” for modernising the extractive industries and suggesting institutional improvements to facilitate technological breakthroughs in the development of mineral resources;
 
3) Assessing the effectiveness of stabilisation funds and comparing stabilisation funds with alternative structures for managing government income from commodity exports;
 
4) Comparative analysis of the most effective vertically-integrated national and international oil companies (NOCs and IOCs) and applying industry best practices to improve the efficiency of subsoil use;
 
5) Environmental protection in extractive industries and analysis of the most efficient environmental practices.

Topics related to Russian extractive industries
 
1) Modernisation of Russia’s extractive industries, including specifying mineral-specific economic zones for testing new methods of regulating subsoil use;
 
2) Mineral taxation, including the petroleum profit tax in Russia and possible scenarios for a gradual transition to a new tax system for the oil industry;
 
3) Regulation of subsoil use, including licensing, tenders, permits and other regulatory areas;
 
4) Gas market dynamics and new routes for transporting Russian gas, notably liquefied natural gas;
 
5)  Russia’s Arctic offshore, including drawing on the experience of Arctic projects in other countries and exploration of alliances with foreign oil companies.