JAMES A. BAKER III Honorary Chairman, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice UniversityJOE BARNES Research Fellow, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice UniversityANDREI BELOPOLSKY Geophysicist, BP America Inc, Deep Water GulfEDWARD P. DJEREJIAN Founding Director, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice UniversityMEHRDAD HAGHAYEGHI Associate Professor of Political Science, Southwest Missouri State UniversityPATRIK T. HULTBERG Assistant Professor, Department of Economics and Finance, University of WyomingANDREI KALYUZHNOVA Medical Engineer and Consultant, London UKJULIAN LEE Senior Energy Analyst, London-based Centre for Global Energy Studies (CGES)MIKHAIL MARGELOV Member from Pskov of the Council of Federation, Federal Assembly of the Russian FederationFRED R. VON DER MEHDEN Albert Thomas Professor of Political Science Emeritus, Rice UniversityJULIA NANAY Director, Petroleum Finance Company, Washington DCMARTHA BRILL OLCOTT Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, DCRONALD SOLIGO Professor of Economics, Rice UniversityMANIK TALWANI Schlumberger Professor of Geophysics, Rice UniversityGARETH WINROW Professor, Department of International Relations, Istanbul Bilgi University

• Foreword; J.A. Baker III Preface List of Abbreviations Notes on the Contributors Introduction; A.M.Jaffe & E.Djerejian PART I: BREAKING NEW GROUND: CASPAIN REGION IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY Geology and Petroleum Potential; A.Belopolsky & M.Talwani Confronting Independence: Political Overview; M.B.Olcott Economies and Energy; Y.Kalyuzhnova Islam and Energy Security; M.Haghayeghi & F.R. von der Mehden PART II: REACHING A WORLD MARKET: PIPELINES, TRANSIT ROUTES AND PROCESSING PLANTS The Economics of Pipeline Routes: The Conundrum of Oil Exports from the Caspian Basin; R.Soligo & A.M.Jaffe Integration in the World Infrastructure: Oil and Gas Processing Industries in the Caspian Region; A.Kalyuzhnova, J.Lee & J.Nanay Convergent Economies: Implications for World Energy Use; R.C.Sickles & P.T.Hultberg PART III: NATIONAL INTERESTS IN THE CASPAIN BASIN Russia's National Interests in the Caspian Region; M.Margelov U.S. National Interests: Getting Beyond the Hype; J.Barnes Turkish National Interests; G.Winrow Conclusion; D.Lynch Index