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On Equilibrium in Resource Markets with Scale Economies and Stochastic Prices

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  • Charles F Mason

Abstract

I consider a non-renewable resource market where extraction costs are non-convex and market price is subject to stochastic shocks. While competitive equilibrium cannot exist if costs are non-convex and demand is deterministic, equilibrium can be supported in the context of stochastic demand. The crucial distinction is that the noisy environment can create an incentive for firms to hold inventories. Inventories allow firms to continue producing at a smooth pace at any instant when extraction ceases, e.g. when reserves are exhausted. Accordingly, there are no abrupt changes in the expected price path, in contrast to the deterministic variant of the model.

Suggested Citation

  • Charles F Mason, 2011. "On Equilibrium in Resource Markets with Scale Economies and Stochastic Prices," OxCarre Working Papers 073, Oxford Centre for the Analysis of Resource Rich Economies, University of Oxford.
    • Handle: RePEc:oxf:oxcrwp:073
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Antoine Bommier & Lucas Bretschger & François Grand, 2017. "Existence of equilibria in exhaustible resource markets with economies of scale and inventories," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 63(3), pages 687-721, March.
    2. Huhtala, Anni & Ropponen, Olli, 2020. "Resource and Environmental Policies for the Mining Industry: What Should Governments Do About the Increasing Social and Environmental Risks?," Working Papers 137, VATT Institute for Economic Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Resource Economics; Stochastic Dynamic Optimization;

    JEL classification:

    • Q2 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation
    • D8 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty
    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality

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