Abstract
Oil is the main source of energy in the world. It represents between 36 and 40 per cent of the global energy needs (gas represents between 21 and 24 per cent of the global energy needs and coal around 23 per cent). Four salient features of oil can be pointed out:
1. Oil is not a renewable energy (it is a limited source of energy);
2. It is a concentrated source of energy (there is an unequal distribution of oil among states);
3. It is an unsecured source of energy (the main producing countries are located in instable regions);
4. There is an increasing demand of oil (according to the International Energy Agency, the oil demand will rise by 50 per cent by 2030).
According to Pierre Noel, member of the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), the oil market is the single international market composed of different industries, public or private. Thereby, energy policies not only dependent on the states' policies but they are also the result of industrial strategies. This essay will analyze the politics of oil in Africa.
