The Secret World of Oil

The Secret World of Oil explores the underbelly of the oil industry, a cornerstone of modern civilisation that has been scrutinised intensely yet often overlooked in terms of the shadowy figures that steer its course. These include secretive fixers, oil traders, lobbyists, PR agents, gangsters, and dictators who, in alliance with competing governments and multinational corporations, shape the industry beyond public view.

At nearly every phase of oil production—from discovery to consumption—these hidden connections are lubricated by corruption and violence. Despite this invisibility, the energy sector stands as the most frequent violator of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, even surpassing the weapons industry in its infractions. This book endeavours to illuminate this obscure and complex world.

The Secret World of Oil takes readers on a journey across the globe with research based on travels to cities such as New York, Houston, New Orleans, Paris, Geneva, and Phnom Penh. It features intimate portrayals of Louisiana oilmen and their political manipulators, a charming London fixer, and the extravagant lifestyle of an oil dictator's playboy son, who juggles choices between dozens of luxury vehicles before an evening of revelry in Los Angeles. Backed by the prestigious Open Society Foundations, this work is both an entertaining global travelogue and a significant piece of investigative journalism.