What Do Theories of International Regimes Contribute to the Explanation of Cooperation (and Failure of Cooperation) among Oil-Producing Countries?

The title of this paper has an optimistic flair in asking what rather than if regime theory may contribute towards explaining cooperative arrangements among oil-producing countries. My investigation, which draws on empirical rather than theoretical arguments, points towards a sober conclusion: the relevance of regime theory is limited in this field. In this paper we discuss, firstly, conventional definitions and categorizations of international regimes. Secondly, oil-producing cooperation is discussed as empirical phenomenon – followed, thirdly, by a consideration of these empirics against a set of theories on international regimes. Finally, I will offer some alternative ways of perceiving of and explaining oil producer cooperation.