Summary

Many sights are set on the lucrative opportunities of Iraq, but the gold rush may not occur, or at least not for some time. The future stability of Iraq is a key issue, as foreign investors will wait for a positive investment climate to rebuild its oil industry. This paper explores the potential impact of a regime change in Iraq on oil and argues that Iraq will not be the panacea of the world oil market, nor of America's commercial interests. It assesses the impact of a war on the oil trade, and looks at how much Iraqi oil can feasibly come on the market in the coming years and the role of ...