Abstract: This paper presents a systematic and synthetic approach of the features and object of petroleum economics. Petroleum economics studies the economic activities in such areas as exploration, development, exploitation, transportation, and refining of petroleum as well as petrochemical processing and petroleum consumption. Differing from technical economics and energy ecoaomfcs, the stndy of petroleum economics includes the function and position of petroleum economics in national economy, its hierarchical structure and nationwide distribution, its operation mechanism, management and organization, circulation of fund and economic benefit, cost of crude oil and oil products, prices and taxes, opening to the outside world and development strategy, world petroleum economics and international politics.

摘要： 石油经济学是一门年轻的学科。本文通过对石油经济学研究现状的考察,从系统和综合的观点出发,对石油经济学的性质及其研究对象的科学涵义进行了论证。石油经济学是经济学基本理论在石油产业系统中具体应用的专门学问,其研究对象是国民经济中围绕石油的勘探、开发、储运、炼制、化学深加工以及石油消费所形成的一系列经济运动的总和。它既不同于石油工业经济学,也有别于能源经济学。石油经济学的基本内容包括:石油经济在国民经济中的作用和地位;石油经济的系统结构和综合布局;石油经济的内在运行机制及其组织与管理;石油经济中的资金运动与石油经济效益;原油及油品的成本、价格和税收;石油经济中的对外开放与石油经济的发展战略,以及世界石油经济与国际政冶的关系等十一个方面。本文通过以上论述提出发展和完善我国石油经济学理论体系的任务。