Provincial-Federal Relations: Limits and Possibilities in Petroleum Management in Alberta and the Kurdistan Region

This project is comparing two systems of petroleum management between a province and its federal government by looking at two case studies: Alberta and Canada on the one hand, and Kurdistan and Iraq on the other. Albertas oil reserves are ranked third in the world and Iraq is the second largest crude oil producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Albertas management of petroleum resources is in harmony with the Canadian federal government because ownership and profit-sharing are both enshrined in the Canadian Constitution. However, in Iraq, petroleum management still remains a contentious issue. Because securing energy supply is so important for economic security, Canadas example could prove insightful for Kurdistan and Iraq and help stabilizing the region. This project will break new ground in research related to Kurdish management of oil resources and allow for a collaborative and mutually beneficial oil policy for all geopolitical actors in the region.

Faculty Supervisor:

Bessma Momani

Student:

Justine Salam

Partner:

Discipline:

Public administration

Sector:

University:

University of Waterloo

Program:

Globalink