This book analyses the nexus of petroleum, security and governance in three semi-authoritarian states in the Caspian region, linking the analysis of domestic and international issues. It provides a timely and much needed analysis of the current impact of oil on the development of this crucial region.

Indra Øverland is the Head of the Energy Programme at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and an Associate Professor at the University of Tromso. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and specialises in the petroleum politics of the post-Soviet area, focusing on the natural gas sector.

Heidi Kjærnet is a Research Fellow in the Energy Programme and the Department of Russia and Eurasia at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI). Her main research interest is the politics of petroleum development in post-Soviet Eurasia, and she specializes in Azerbaijani politics.

Andrea Kendall-Taylor has conducted extensive research in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan focusing on the political factors that affect how governments manage petroleum revenue. Andrea is currently completing her Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Introduction: The Resource Curse and Authoritarianism in the Caspian Petro-States Indra Overland, Heidi Kjaernet and Andrea Kendall-Taylor Part 1: Domestic Challenges in the Caspian Petro-States. Introduction: Domestic Balancing Acts in the Caspian Petro-States Andrea Kendall-Taylor 1. Resource Nationalism in Kazakhstan's Petroleum Sector: Curse or Blessing? Adil Nurmakov 2. Petroleum-Fuelled Public Investment in Azerbaijan: Implications for Competitiveness and Employment Ramil Maharramov 3. Displacement in a Booming Economy: IDPs in Azerbaijan Heidi Kjaernet 4. Natural Gas and Authoritarianism in Turkmenistan Gregory Gleason Part 2: Energy Relations of the Caspian Petro-States with China and Russia. Introduction: China and Russia: Partners or Firewalls for the Caspian Petro-States? Indra Overland, Stina Torjesen and Heidi Kjaernet 5. China, Energy Security and Central Asian Diplomacy: Bilateral and Multilateral Approaches Marc Lanteigne 6. In the New 'Great Game', Who is Getting Played? Chinese Investment in Kazakhstan's Petroleum Sector Ryan Kennedy 7. Just Good Friends: Kazakhstan's and Turkmenistan's Energy Relations with Russia Indra Overland and Stina Torjesen 8. Azerbaijani-Russian Relations and the Economization of Foreign Policy Heidi Kjaernet 9. The Shanghai Cooperation Energy Club: Purpose and Prospects Nargis Kassenova Conclusions and Further Reflections: The Logic of Authoritarianism in the Caspian Petro-States Indra Overland, Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Heidi Kjaernet