title: Optimising the extraction rate of a non-durable non-renewable resource in a monopolistic market: a mathematical programming approach.
abstract: We assume a monopolistic market for a non-durable non-renewable resource such as crude oil, phosphates or fossil water. Stating the problem of obtaining optimal policies on extraction and pricing of the resource as a non-linear program allows general conclusions to be drawn under diverse assumptions about the demand curve, discount rates and length of the planning horizon. We compare the results with some common beliefs about the pace of exhaustion of this kind of resources.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Industrial and Control Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Av. Diagonal, 647, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corominas
authors.affiliation: Institute of Industrial and Control Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Av. Diagonal, 647, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Enric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fossas
keywords: Non-linear programming; Non-renewable resources; Optimal extraction rate