Oil and the Power it EntailsGlobal Interdependence and Macroeconomic Impact

Abstract: The study covers oil and the power it entails and focuses on oil interdependence, oil-related conflicts and crises and macroeconomic effects. This thesis aims to examine the global oil industry's trade structure, to clarify the international geopolitical situation in the oil industry, and to analyze the effects of fluctuations in price on a macroeconomic level. The research has an explorative but also descriptive nature and can be classified as a correlational study. The thesis is mainly based on qualitative references obtained from interviews supplemented with quantitative data. The majority of conflicts in the Middle East can be classified as oil related, with a major impact on oil prices as a result. Oil price fluctuations correlate with and influence the macroeconomic situation in different countries, and the degree of the correlation varies due to the extent certain countries depend on oil. Interdependence is thus a significant factor in economic and geopolitical development. The study contributes to a deeper understanding and a more profound knowledge regarding global impact due to oil interdependence. This thesis indicates that the integration of oil in today’s society increases the world’s vulnerability to changes in the oil industry and therefore, oil contributes to power.