
La cambiante geopolítica del petróleo
Rafael Gallegos
PetroRenova Indexed. Revista Científica de la Energía
Vol. 1(3), 6-18, octubre-diciembre, 2025.
Abstract
This work offers a clear and concise analysis of global oil geopolitics, understood as a field of
study in intense and constant evolution, driven by economic forces, technological disruptions, and
complex political interactions. The central objective is to analyze how the convergence of several
factors is structurally redefining the map of global power. These factors include: a) Fluctuations in
supply and demand: The impact of market volatility and the emergence of new, non-traditional
supply sources (such as shale oil and shale gas); b) Strategic energy policies: The influence of
the decisions of the major world powers (US, China, EU) on supply security and the energy
transition y b) Acceleration of renewable energies: The disruptive role of solar, wind, and hydrogen
as drivers of less dependence on hydrocarbons. The methodology used is based on a clear and
concise review of specialized literature, complemented by the analysis of reports and historical
and projected data from key entities such as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). This approach allows for a contrast
between the narratives of the major energy players. The research results confirm an ongoing
energy diversification, which translates into a gradual, though steady, decline in the hegemonic
influence that oil has historically exerted. Despite this decline in its exclusive dominance, crude oil
remains an irreplaceable strategic pillar in the short and medium term for transportation and
petrochemicals. Additionally, the following are identified: a) An increase in the strategic relevance
of countries with vast unconventional reserves, altering traditional balances of power y b) Greater
competition and fracture within traditional blocs (such as OPEC+), resulting from the different
speeds of the energy transition among its members. In conclusion, the geopolitics of oil is in a
critical phase of transition and reconfiguration. The future energy system will tend to be more
distributed, multipolar, and resilient, reducing dependence on a single resource or producing
region. This will inevitably reshape geopolitical alliances, tensions over route control, and conflicts
of international interest.
Keywords: Geopolitics, oil, energy, competition, reserves, future, the seven sisters, shale oil,
churchill.
Introducción
El panorama geopolítico del petróleo ha experimentado transformaciones sísmicas a lo
largo de más de un siglo, pasando de ser un combustible estratégico para la Marina Británica,
impulsado por Winston Churchill, a convertirse en el eje del dominio mundial.
Según Giordano (2002), inicialmente, el control del negocio estuvo, firmemente, en manos
de las "siete hermanas”, un grupo de poderosas empresas que ejercieron una geopolítica que
apuntalaba su dominio político y económico sobre los países productores. Sin embargo, este
equilibrio de poder fue desafiado en 1973 con el Embargo Petrolero Árabe, un evento que
catapultó a la OPEP (fundada por figuras como Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo) a una posición de
influencia dominante, permitiéndoles nacionalizar su industria y controlar los volúmenes de
producción.