IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/applec/v36y2004i12p1355-1369.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Cartel formation and oligopoly structure: a new assessment of the crude oil market

Author

Listed:
  • Sabine Bockem

Abstract

While economic theorists regard OPEC as a perfect example of a long-lasting cartel, energy economists strongly deny such view. Applying the ideas of New Empirical Industrial Organization, a market description is derived. Cartel theory and empirical evidence fit together well. Stable long-lasting cartels can be explained only for subclasses of market models and exactly such type of model is obtained here. A variety of different market models is tested. OPEC and the market for crude oil is best described by a price-leader model.

Suggested Citation

  • Sabine Bockem, 2004. "Cartel formation and oligopoly structure: a new assessment of the crude oil market," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(12), pages 1355-1369.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:36:y:2004:i:12:p:1355-1369
    DOI: 10.1080/0003684042000191093
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0003684042000191093
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/0003684042000191093?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Steen, Frode & Salvanes, Kjell G., 1999. "Testing for market power using a dynamic oligopoly model," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 147-177, February.
    2. James L. Sweeney & Michael J. Boskin, 1985. "Analyzing Impacts of Potential Tax Policy Changes on U.S. Oil Security," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Special I).
    3. Bresnahan, Timothy F., 1982. "The oligopoly solution concept is identified," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 10(1-2), pages 87-92.
    4. Rotemberg, Julio J & Saloner, Garth, 1986. "A Supergame-Theoretic Model of Price Wars during Booms," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(3), pages 390-407, June.
    5. Cowling, Keith & Waterson, Michael, 1976. "Price-Cost Margins and Market Structure," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 43(171), pages 267-274, August.
    6. Sweeney, James L. & Boskin, Michael J., 1985. "Analyzing Impacts of Potential Tax Policy Changes on U.S. Oil Security," CEPR Publications 244428, Stanford University, Center for Economic Policy Research.
    7. Donsimoni, Marie-Paule & Economides, Nicholas S & Polemarchakis, Herakles M, 1986. "Stable Cartels," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 27(2), pages 317-327, June.
    8. Green, Edward J & Porter, Robert H, 1984. "Noncooperative Collusion under Imperfect Price Information," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 52(1), pages 87-100, January.
    9. Alsmiller, R.G. & Horwedel, J.E. & Marshalla, R.A. & Nesbitt, D.M. & Haas, S.M., 1985. "A model of the world oil market with an OPEC cartel," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 10(10), pages 1089-1102.
    10. Bresnahan, Timothy F., 1989. "Empirical studies of industries with market power," Handbook of Industrial Organization, in: R. Schmalensee & R. Willig (ed.), Handbook of Industrial Organization, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 17, pages 1011-1057, Elsevier.
    11. Cremer, Jacques & Weitzman, Martin L., 1976. "OPEC and the monopoly price of world oil," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 155-164, August.
    12. Hnyilicza, Esteban & Pindyck, Robert S., 1976. "Pricing policies for a two-part exhaustible resource cartel : The case of OPEC," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 139-154, August.
    13. Greene, David L., 1991. "A note on OPEC market power and oil prices," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 123-129, April.
    14. Carol Dahl & Mine Yucel, 1991. "Testing Alternative Hypotheses of Oil Producer Behavior," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 4), pages 117-138.
    15. Claude d'Aspremont & Alexis Jacquemin & Jean Jaskold Gabszewicz & John A. Weymark, 1983. "On the Stability of Collusive Price Leadership," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 16(1), pages 17-25, February.
    16. Moran, Theodore H., 1981. "Modeling OPEC behavior: economic and political alternatives," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 35(2), pages 241-272, April.
    17. Baldwin, Nick & Prosser, Richard, 1988. "World oil market simulation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 185-198, July.
    18. Morrison, Michael B., 1987. "The price of oil : Lower and upper bounds," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 399-407, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Farzanegan, Mohammad Reza & Raeisian Parvari, Mozhgan, 2014. "Iranian-Oil-Free Zone and international oil prices," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 364-372.
    2. Luciano Fanti, 2017. "An Observable Delay Game with Unionised Managerial Firms," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 64(1), pages 50-69, February.
    3. Aune, Finn Roar & Mohn, Klaus & Osmundsen, Petter & Rosendahl, Knut Einar, 2010. "Financial market pressure, tacit collusion and oil price formation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 389-398, March.
    4. Shantayanan Devarajan & Lili Mottaghi, "undated". "MENA Quarterly Economic Brief, July 2016," World Bank Publications - Reports 24684, The World Bank Group.
    5. Finn Roar Aune & Solveig Glomsrød & Lars Lindholt & Knut Einar Rosendahl, 2005. "Are high oil prices profitable for OPEC in the long run?," Discussion Papers 416, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    6. Finn Roar Aune & Klaus Mohn & Petter Osmundsen & Knut Einar Rosendahl, 2007. "Industry restructuring, OPEC response - and oil price formation," Discussion Papers 511, Statistics Norway, Research Department.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bandyopadhyay, Kaushik Ranjan, 2009. "Does OPEC act as a Residual Producer?," MPRA Paper 25841, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2010.
    2. Golombek, Rolf & Irarrazabal, Alfonso A. & Ma, Lin, 2018. "OPEC's market power: An empirical dominant firm model for the oil market," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 98-115.
    3. Marcos Lima & Marcelo Resende, 2004. "Profit margins and business cycles in the Brazilian industry: a panel data study," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(9), pages 923-930.
    4. Kaushik Ranjan Bandyopadhyay, 2022. "Oil and Gas Markets and COVID-19: A Critical Rumination on Drivers, Triggers, and Volatility," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-21, April.
    5. Even Comfort Hvinden, 2019. "OPEC's crude game," Working Papers No 10/2019, Centre for Applied Macro- and Petroleum economics (CAMP), BI Norwegian Business School.
    6. Richard Schmalensee, 2012. "“On a Level with Dentists?” Reflections on the Evolution of Industrial Organization," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 41(3), pages 157-179, November.
    7. Coccorese, Paolo & Girardone, Claudia & Shaffer, Sherrill, 2021. "What affects bank market power in the euro area? A country-level structural model approach," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    8. Phillips, Gordon M., 1995. "Increased debt and industry product markets An empirical analysis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 189-238, February.
    9. Ian Sheldon & Richard Sperling, 2003. "Estimating the Extent of Imperfect Competition in the Food Industry: What Have We Learned?," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(1), pages 89-109, March.
    10. Jacob A. Bikker & Dirk W.G.A. Broeders & Dirk Jan de Dreu, 2010. "Stock Market Performance and Pension Fund Investment Policy: Rebalancing, Free Float, or Market Timing?," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 6(2), pages 53-79, June.
    11. J.A. Bikker & L. Spierdijk & P. Finnie, 2007. "The Impact of Market Structure, Contestability and Institutional Environment on Banking Competition," Working Papers 07-29, Utrecht School of Economics.
    12. Kaplow, Louis & Shapiro, Carl, 2007. "Antitrust," Handbook of Law and Economics, in: A. Mitchell Polinsky & Steven Shavell (ed.), Handbook of Law and Economics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 15, pages 1073-1225, Elsevier.
    13. Abito, Jose Miguel & Chen, Cuicui, 2023. "A partial identification framework for dynamic games," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    14. Manthos D. Delis & K. Christos Staikouras & Panagiotis T. Varlagas, 2008. "On the Measurement of Market Power in the Banking Industry," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(7‐8), pages 1023-1047, September.
    15. Pedro Mendi & Róbert F. Veszteg, 2009. "Sustainability of collusion: evidence from the late 19th century basque iron and steel industry," Investigaciones Economicas, Fundación SEPI, vol. 33(3), pages 385-405, September.
    16. Nguyen-Ones, Mai & Steen, Frode, 2018. "Measuring Market Power in Gasoline Retailing: A Market- or Station Phenomenon?," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 6/2018, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.
    17. Michael Rauscher, 1992. "Cartel instability and periodic price shocks," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 209-219, June.
    18. Pedro Dal Bó, 2007. "Tacit collusion under interest rate fluctuations," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 38(2), pages 533-540, June.
    19. Simpasa, Anthony, 2010. "Characterising market power and its determinants in the Zambian banking indudstry," MPRA Paper 27232, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Piedrabuena, Bernardita, 2013. "Competencia en el mercado bancario del crédito en Chile," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 4630, Inter-American Development Bank.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:36:y:2004:i:12:p:1355-1369. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/RAEC20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.