Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 12/2008

New rules for a new 'Great Game'

Anthony Bubalo, Mark Thirlwell

November 2006

Lowy Institute for International Policy

Abstract

Energy insecurity, driven by high demand and uncertainty over supply, is fuelling a surging interest in equity in Middle East oil fields among major energy consumers, particularly in Northeast Asia. There is a risk that the resultant competition for oil and other energy resources in the Middle East will aggravate existing tensions or even create new conflicts. In a new Policy Brief, Anthony Bubalo and Mark Thirlwell argue that the G-20, meeting in Melbourne this weekend, should take a leading role in ensuring that energy insecurity does not become a global strategic problem.