Singapore: An energy sector study

Technical Report · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5261447

Doshi, T

A study of Singapore's economy with special reference to the energy sector, revealed the following: Singapore has no domestic energy resources, no coal-handling infrastructure or gas-import system. It relies wholly on imported petroleum for its energy supply. Singapore is currently negotiating gas-supply arrangements with Malaysia and Indonesia, primarily for use in the electric-power sector. As a percentafe of demand, Singapore is one of the world's largest consumers of fuel oil. Proposed gas imports could have a substantial impact on the present pattern of energy demand. Energy consumption amounts to 40 percent of its energy imports; the bulk of energy imports are re-exported, either after further processing after temporary storage. Since refiners must face the external market as their primary outlet for products, government policy has only a minimal effect on the economics of refining. Singapore's domestic oil market is one of the world's most reponsive in terms of following world market conditions; the degree of government interference in the refining sector is comparable to that seen in the United States. Although Singapore refining actually contracted following the 1979 price increases, Singapore's role in the world oil market has steadily expanded. The collapse of Singapore refining has been incorrectly predicted many times since 1973. The sophistication of Singapore's refining industry has traditionally been operational rather than technological. However, Shell, Esso, and Mobil plan major upgrading and cracking additions for completion in the early 1990s. This will increase Singapore's technical flexibiity to levels that compare favorably with Japan and most other Asian countries and will help to ensure that Singapore will remain the center of the Asian-Pacific oil market into the foreseeable future. 31 refs., 1 fig., 13 tabs.

• Research Organization: East-West Center, Honolulu, HI (USA). Resource Systems Inst.
• DOE Contract Number: FG01-86IE10521
• OSTI ID: 5261447
• Report Number(s): DOE/IE/10521-T2; ON: DE88007618
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020400 -- Petroleum-- Processing
020700 -- Petroleum-- Economics
Industrial
& Business Aspects
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290200* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Economics & Sociology
298000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Consumption & Utilization
ASIA
DEMAND
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMY
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ENERGY DEMAND
ENERGY POLICY
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
IMPORTS
INDUSTRY
ISLANDS
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM INDUSTRY
PROCESSING
REFINING
SINGAPORE
TARIFFS