This lesson has three parts that are developed around a central axis, namely oil and, to a large extent, the dependence of the world economy on it, shortly before its transition to the oil era, as global oil reserves are exhausted:
– A special energy market, the production and marketing of petroleum products, both at national, European and international level. In particular, the structure, organization and operation of the petroleum market at national and international level are examined.
– Next, we analyze the techniques, rules and procedures for the creation of oil reserves for crisis management (see, at national level, the Presidential Decree “Establishment of the Hellenic Central Reserve Conservation Agency” and a draft amendment of Law 4123/2013 “Maintaining a minimum level of stocks of crude oil and / or petroleum products (harmonization with Directive 2009/119 / EC)”.)
– Lastly, emphasis is placed on the so-called diversification of energy supply, which characterizes the energy policy of each energy-consuming country and aims to reduce the dependency of an economy on a single source or on a single provider. In this context, together with the technical issues of conducting pipeline routes and shaping the appropriate mix of energy sources with which (to be) fed a country such as ours, issues of international politics and international relations, as well as of the relevant international conflicts. This part of the course distinguishes the different interests on the international scene of the three categories of countries: the energy producing countries, the energy consuming countries and the transit countries.