The data comprises qualitative data derived from semi-structured interviews in China, Ghana, Nigeria and Sudan. In addition, there were short surveys with communities affected by oil investments in Nigeria and Ghana. In China data was collected during a workshop and the deliberations were full transcribed. The interviews and workshop discussions were transcribed and translated into English where necessary. Where audio recordings were not permitted researchers took field notes which also form part of the collection. There is also one expert report from Sudan where data collection proved highly sensitive (see Notes on access). The African data is organised by country and sub-divided by stakeholder groups which appear is separate folders. These are Chinese oil companies, African oil companies, international oil companies, suppliers, MDAs, civil society organisations, and communities. The China data is more limited and comprises field notes and workshop transcripts.After decades of being regarded as 'basket cases' some African economies are experiencing growth rates that are among the fastest in the world. Much of this growth is based on the export of commodities, like oil, to China and other emerging economies. Driving this engagement are Chinese national oil companies (NOCs) that have grown up through China's reform period and, as such, carry with them many key features of the 'China model'. While we hypothesise that the Chinese do things 'differently' to other oil investors in Africa we do not know whether the different corporate strategies of the leading Chinese NOCs and the specificities of African political economies they engage with generates unique forms of development, and if so in whose interests? Crucially it is a mistake to see this as one-way traffic with Chinese firms entirely determining the agenda. Our past ESRC-funded research reveals the importance of African agency in shaping the terms of this engagement and with it the potentials for development. In terms of DFID-ESRC's priorities the project addresses Chinese FDI, resource-based growth models, and infrastructure given that many Chinese oil deals are tied to infrastructure. This project will be the first to assess whether and how such developmental benefits may be occurring. We will start by investigating the Chinese NOCs and their relationships to key state and semi-private agencies in China, before undertaking field research in Africa. Important here are the complex 'packages' of aid, trade and investment in Africa through Chinese NOCs, banks and ministries. Chinese NOCs are active across Africa but three countries - Ghana, Angola and Sudan - represent different aspects of their engagement with the continent. These countries are also unique so these contextual differences allow us to examine the role that African agency plays in shaping the nature of and benefits from this new investment in their oil sectors. We will also assess their impacts and the extent to which the growth they generate - directly, through oil-backed infrastructure, and via state revenue - trickles down to Africa's poorest. Data collection will be both quantitative and qualitative; the former being data sets on Chinese FDI and African social indicators, and the latter interviews with key Chinese and African actors. To successfully carry out this data collection in countries and an industrial sector renowned for lacking transparency we will work with partners who have track-records of research in this area, and are embedded in key policy circles which will maximise the impact of our research. Having established the drivers, dynamics and impacts of these investment flows we will address the needs of various users of knowledge. Academics across a range of disciplines will benefit from new knowledge of the character of these flows and impacts, as well as rethinking debates on the nature of international relations, resource-based development and the role of 'Southern' actors in that. National and international policy-makers will benefit from better information about the nature of these oil-related trade and investment flows, as well as benefitting from the recommendations we make for interventions that could enhance the mutual benefits from these new business relations. International and African business people will benefit through greater knowledge of the opportunities available, but also about how to do business in such complex cross-cultural settings. To achieve this, the research team will deliver bespoke training programmes on Chinese NOCs and local linkages. Finally, the general public will benefit from better-informed debate about the nature of Africa's development, and the real costs and benefits of actors like the Chinese. The Open University, where the core team is based, has wide experience of engaging the public in learning about the world and will produce a MOOC on oil and development in Africa.

The data is primarily qualitative. It was derived from two main methods. The first was semi-structured interviews with key informants from the oil industry, government officials, civil society organisations, and researchers. These interviews were conducted in all three African countries. The second method was a short community survey in Nigeria and Ghana with those affected by Chinese oil projects. Security issues in Sudan prevented us visiting the oil producing areas. In addition, in China we held an expert workshop where participants were aware that the deliberations were being recorded for research purposes. In addition, in Sudan we commissioned an expert review of the oil sector which appears as a report.