Do giant oilfield discoveries fuel internal armed conflicts?

We use new data to examine the effects of giant oilfield discoveries around the world since 1946. On average, these discoveries increase per capita oil production and oil exports by up to 50%. But these giant oilfield discoveries also have a dark side: they increase the incidence of internal armed conflict by about 5–8 percentage points. This increased incidence of conflict due to giant oilfield discoveries is especially high for countries that had already experienced armed conflicts or coups in the decade prior to discovery. •We examine the effect of giant oilfield discoveries around the world since 1946.•These discoveries raise per capita oil production and exports by up to 50%.•They also raise the odds of internal armed conflict by about 5–8 percentage points.•This last increase is larger for countries with prior histories of political violence.