Oil & conflict: between hope & despair : a case study in BPs activities in Casanare

Abstract

The purpose of this interdisciplinary research is to expose the role and demonstrate the responsibility of transnational oil corporations operating in conflict-prone countries on the dynamics of the conflict itself and for egregious human rights violations. In particular, the paper treats the role of the oil industry in the conflict dynamics in Colombia. Based on two separate trips to and interviews in Colombia, the paper argues that the oil industry has significantly contributed to the exacerbation of violence in the oil producing areas and that major oil corporations have inadequately responded to the social risks of operating in war-torn regions. The paper stresses the need for more field-based analysis on the role of the international private sector in Colombia and the effectiveness of corporate responses to mitigate or minimise destabilising effects of business activity. The research analysis is based on a case study of the department of Casanare which highlights the complexity of these issues in relation to the experiences of British Petroleum Exploration Colombia Limited (BPXC).