ABSTRACT

Chapter 7 examines whether NCR can explain the differences and relative success and failure of China and India in their respective efforts to mobilise oil in the oil industry in eight countries in West Africa. The countries are Gabon, Ghana, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Mauritania, Niger and Liberia. The chapter does a case study ‘pattern matching’ of eight countries in West Africa. The chapter is divided into three sections. Section I examines the differences and the relative success or failure of India and China in their ability to acquire oil blocks in Gabon. It provides a brief background of Gabon and discusses the oil industry in Gabon, the oil reserves and production. It then compares and contrasts the political, diplomatic and economic relations of India and China respectively with Gabon. It highlights that India’s economic, political and diplomatic engagement with Gabon is dwarfed by China’s engagement with Gabon. In the end, it discusses the oil blocks bid for and acquired by India and China in Gabon and the nature or type of Indian and Chinese oil companies that are operating in the oil industry in Gabon. It also examines the quality of the oil blocks acquired by oil companies from the two countries. Section II provides a brief background of Ghana and discusses the oil industry in Ghana, the oil reserves and production. It then compares and contrasts the political, diplomatic and economic relations of India and China respectively with Ghana. It highlights that India’s economic, political and diplomatic engagement with Ghana is dwarfed by China’s engagement with Ghana. In the end, it discusses the oil blocks bid for and acquired by India and China in Ghana. Section III undertakes a case study ‘pattern matching’ of six countries in West Africa. The aim is to find out if Indian and Chinese oil companies have acquired oil blocks and the type of the oil companies from the two countries operating in the upstream oil industry in the six countries.