Abstract
The aim of the project was a comprehensive study of the Iranian oil industry in general, and the National Iranian Oil Company in particular, over the past seventy years. Part I of the dissertation described the historical background to 1951. It dealt with the various concession agreements, the impact of oil revenues on the Iranian economy and the state of the domestic distribution network. Part II was concerned with the activities of NIOC and the Iranian Government in exercising a firmer control over the Iranian oil industry in the period 1951-71. The concessionary and non-concessionary agreements were considered and an analysis was made of the profitability of each type of contract. The role of OPEC and its influence on the Iranian oil industry was also examined. Finally, the effect of oil revenues on the domestic economy was investigated and contrasted with the period up to 1951. Part III dealt with the domestic activities of NIOC in the period 1951-71. It reviewed the objectives of the Company and the manner of their implementation. Thus, exploration, production, distribution and transport were studied. The growth of Iranian demand was next considered and this led to the investigation of the apparent imbalance in patterns of supply and demand, its effects, and the examination of possible remedies. Also, prices, profits and costs of NIOC were analysed. It was shown that the government's attitude towards prices was the single most important factor in causing the imbalance between the supply and demand. Moreover, the price stabilization policy resulted in cross-subsidization which detrimentally affected some regions. Finally, it was shown that the Company' s activities could not be judged on a purely commercial basis and that the government's intervention, direct and indirect, has had a major effect on its development.