Exhibit 5.1

                             SNOW BECKER KRAUSS P.C.
                                605 Third Avenue
                               New York, NY 10158
                              Phone: (212) 687-3860
                               Fax: (212) 949-7052

                                                                December 3, 1999

American International Petroleum Corporation
444 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10022

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We are  counsel  to  American  International  Petroleum  Corporation,  a  Nevada
corporation (the  "Company"),  in connection with the filing by the Company with
the Securities and Exchange  Commission  pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the "Securities Act"), of a registration  statement on Form S-3 (the
"Registration  Statement") relating to the offer and sale of 7,459,933 shares of
the  Company's  common  stock  by  the  selling  securityholders  named  in  the
Registration Statement, including.

     o    6,434,933  shares  that they may  acquire  upon  conversion  of, or in
          payment of accrued  interest on, the Company's 6% secured  convertible
          debentures due November 2, 2004.

     o    1,025,000  shares that they may acquire upon  exercise of  outstanding
          warrants.

We have examined such records and documents and made such examinations of law as
we have  deemed  relevant  in  connection  with  this  opinion.  Based  upon the
foregoing, it is our opinion that:

          1.   The Company has been duly  organized  is validly  existing and in
               good standing under the laws of the State of Nevada

          2.   The  Shares  have  been duly  authorized,  and when  issued  upon
               conversion of the  convertible  debentures in accordance with the
               terms thereof or, upon payment of the exercise price specified in
               the warrants,  as the case may be, will be legally issued,  fully
               paid and nonassessable.

Our firm owns 247,818 shares of Common Stock,  and an investment  nominee of our
firm owns 225,905 shares of Common Stock.

We  hereby  consent  to  the  filing  of  this  opinion  as an  exhibit  to  the
Registration  Statement and to the reference to our firm under the caption Legal
Matters in the Registration  Statement. In so doing, we do not admit that we are
in the category of persons whose consent is required  under Section 7 of the Act
or  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission
promulgated thereunder.


                                Very truly yours,

                                /s/ Snow Becker Krauss P.C.
                                ---------------------------
                                    SNOW BECKER KRAUSS P.C.


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