Eustache Tanzala Kikasu
This paper explored the influence of the international environment on oil and gas industry development, as well as on the restructuring and upgrading of the petroleum refinery industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It intended to unveil and increase the awareness of political leaders and Congolese people about the influence of the international environment on the national oil and gas industry’s integration and development, as well as the restructuring and upgrading of the only oil refinery industry in the country. The PESTIE factors of the macro- environment were used to achieve the aim and objectives of this study. Accordingly, in order to address the influence of the international environment on oil and gas industry in the DRC, a mixed methods approach combining a quantitative survey with qualitative in-depth interviews was used to confirm the evidence obtained from the survey. The results of this study revealed the (82%) oil and gas industry disintegration and the lack of oil refinery industry development in the DRC are mostly related to the influence or dominance of the international environment, as well as to the colonial economic model that kept the country reliant on the total export of natural mineral resources and the import of all essential finished product needs (oil products). This paper alerts the government of the DRC and the Congolese people to how the international environment is influencing the oil and gas industry in the DRC. Moreover, the paper addresses opportunities to review, monitor and ensure the best practice of policies, programmes and strategic plans that could help in minimising the dominance of a colonial economic model in the oil and gas industry of the DRC.