The purpose of this study was to analyse the competitive pressures producing excess capacity in gasoline retailing and to attempt to estimate the excess capacity existing in this industry in British Columbia. Before either of these tasks could be undertaken it was necessary to decide exactly what is meant by the term "excess capacity." A study of the relevant literature led to the choice of the following definition: Excess capacity = (number of outlets existing in an industry under present competitive conditions) - (number of outlets which could be expected in the industry under conditions of active price competition). This definition of the optimum number of firms in an industry makes it possible to measure the excess amount of resources in an industry over the most efficient amount. The key to the definition is the presence of active price competition in the market under consideration. If this condition is met a number of outlets satisfying the Chamberlinian "sort of ideal" will be present in the industry when long run equilibrium is achieved. To determine whether active price competition was present in a given market, evidence (gathered by means of an interview survey) was considered on the following points: (i) The prevalence of consignment selling, (ii) The degree of uniformity of the retail price of gasoline in a given sub-market, (iii) The height of dealer margins. Supplementary evidence bearing directly on the extent of excess capacity was gathered on: (i) Rent subsidization, (ii) Direct observation of excess capacity and, (iii) Estimates by service station operators of the degree of underutilization. Sixteen operators were interviewed in two urban sub-markets and on the basis of a detailed evaluation of the above evidence six service stations were estimated to constitute excess capacity. The oligopolistic interdependence of the major oil companies which dominate gasoline retailing in urban areas prevented an extension of this proportion to all urban stations. In non-metropolitan areas of the province 39 out of 110 stations were estimated to be excess capacity. Because the influence of the major oil companies is much less in these areas this proportion can be extended to show approximately 740 stations to be excess capacity out of the 2107 stations in these areas. / Arts, Faculty of / Vancouver School of Economics / Graduate

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This dissertation research addresses the question of whether the issuance of the FASB and SEC proposals had any effect on the common stock values of oil and gas producers. Of primary interest is a determination of the differential impact of these proposals on stock values of full-cost versus successful efforts firms.

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M.S.

Before the discovery of oil Saudi Arabia's economic structure was limited, and the majority of the population was engaged in herding and agriculture. Social life was also very simple. The Saudi economy has made tremendous strides since commercial oil production began in 1938. A series of national development plans was formulated, and the government has devoted considerable attention to the improvement of education, the Bedouin lifestyle, and many other aspects of society. Chapter I of this thesis presents background information about Saudi Arabia, and Chapter II outlines the development of its oil resources. Chapters III, IV, and V describe Saudi Arabia's family life, its educational system, and its nomads. Chapter VI offers a summary and suggestions for enhancing future development in the kingdom.

Ph.D. (Economic Sciences) / The international oil industry has always been subject to significant changes throughout the years, mainly as a result of changes in the environment, government policies, the world economy and a developing technology. Since the turn of the century, however, no changes have been as fundamental as the events of 1973. The international oil industry found itself in a very short period of time, with the following changes: The loss of production resources to the industry's previous host countries. A significant increase in the price of the products the industry handle. Increased interference by the governments of the countries in which the industry markets its products. No growth. A permanent change in the mix of petroleum products required by the market. The oil industry reacted to these changes in the following ways: Large proportions of refining networks were closed and large amounts of money were spent on additional cracking facilities for the remainder of the industry's networks. Organisational changes were introduced, with the objective of removing surplus infra-structure from a shrinking industry. iii Attention was given to other forms of energy. Whatever the reaction had been, the mere fact that refining capacity had to be reduced, and large oil tankers scrapped, suggests a lack of proper planning during the period preceding the problems of 1973. During the late fifties and sixties, when there was a steady growth in the world economy and oil prices remained static, planning ahead became relatively simple, and the oil industry planners slipped into the illusion that none of the upheave1s of history would be repeated. The signals were clearly there, but were totally ignored until far too late. To a large extent, this happened because government officials and oil company executives tended to specialise, and therefore they lacked knowledge of the oil industry as a whole. In South Africa, more planning was conducted than elsewhere in the world, but was mainly directed towards the development of synfuels and strategic storage. This was the result of South Africa's peculiar political circumstances and not because of an awareness of the need for realistic commercial planning.

by Lam Yip-mou Charles. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1981. / Bibliography: leaves 104-106.

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