
Oil fuels empires and wars: from coal to global power, through shocks, sanctions, and a shifting energy map.
Oil wealth often amplifies political risk by incentivizing authoritarian tolerance of opposition to secure profits.
Control of sea lanes once mattered more than reserves, shaping coalitions that endured despite oil price swings.
OPEC's influence peaked not at production cuts, but at timing those cuts to coincide with global economic shocks.
Some nations weaponized oil infrastructure, turning pipelines into leverage points during diplomacy and warfare.

Oil fuels empires and wars: from coal to global power, through shocks, sanctions, and a shifting energy map.
Oil wealth often amplifies political risk by incentivizing authoritarian tolerance of opposition to secure profits.
Control of sea lanes once mattered more than reserves, shaping coalitions that endured despite oil price swings.
OPEC's influence peaked not at production cuts, but at timing those cuts to coincide with global economic shocks.
Some nations weaponized oil infrastructure, turning pipelines into leverage points during diplomacy and warfare.
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