General equilibrium theory

International economics

Biology

Financial economics

Macroeconomics

Paleontology

Economics

Ecology

Cartel

Petroleum

Monetary economics

Collusion

Oil price

Environmental science

Industrial organization

Petroleum industry

Fossil fuel

Environmental engineering

Volatility (finance)

The Review of Economic Studies

We use new, comprehensive micro data on oil fields to build and estimate a structural model of the oil industry embedded in a general equilibrium model of the world economy. In the model, firms that belong to Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) act as a cartel. The remaining firms are a competitive fringe. We use the model to study the macroeconomic impact of the advent of fracking. Fracking weakens the OPEC cartel, leading to a large long-run decline in oil prices. Fracking also reduces the volatility of oil prices in the long run because fracking firms can respond more quickly to changes in oil demand.

A World Equilibrium Model of the Oil Market