revenues from royatties, taxes, production, etc., which was meant to lirnit windfall gains by foreign investors, has at times made the exploration of smaller fields unprofit'abLe. a2/ fn order to reduce the perceived project risk, innovative exploration and development agreements between host Governments and foreign investors could be exPlored.A/40/sLL English Page 15 42. A few developing countries, for example the Ivory Coast and Mexico, have Ievied special taxes on petroleum products, with the proceeds used for specific purposes such as petroleum exploration. Such measures night usefully be considered by other developing countries. B. National policy: developed countries 43. Over the period 1978-1982, the rnember States of the Development Assistance Cornmittee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developnent (OECD) provided official development assistance in energy, including assistance for upstrean and downstream activities, which grew from $0.967 billion in 1978 to $2.045 billion in 1982, after reaching a maxinun of $2.239 billion in L980. But their non-concessional support 43l declined fron $6.I39 billion in 1978 to $5.677 billion in 1982, after peaking at $7.651 billion in 1980 (A/39/420 and Corr.l, table 5). Sone of the centrally pl.anned economies have also been involved, through their State oil enterprises, in assisting developing eountries in exploring and developing their petroleum resources. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, for exarrple, has supported oil exploration in Afghanistan, Indiaz Irag and some other countries in the Middle East and in Africa. Such assistance has normally been in the form of loans or technical assistance and has sometimes included entitlernents to purchase certain amounts of the oil of gas produced. Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic and Romania have also provided financing, eguipnent and technicat experts to certain developing countries to assist them in generating electricity and developing transmission systems. 44. Governments of OECD and Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA)
**Analysis**
The text discusses the challenges faced by developing countries in exploring and developing their petroleum resources, including the impact of windfall gains on foreign investors and the need for innovative agreements between governments and investors. It also highlights the role of developed countries and centrally planned economies in providing assistance to developing countries in the form of loans, technical assistance, and equipment. This suggests that the text is primarily focused on the economic development of developing countries, particularly in the context of natural resource extraction.

**Category**
Economic development, Natural resources and environment