Oil Sufficiency in Nations - A Contrast

Singapore significantly plans ahead. She never seems to settle in a comfort zone for even a little while. Even if it does not produce oil at all, Singapore has invested long ago in massive refining capability, compared to Australia, New Zealand and other larger ASEAN nations. This comes from a government which takes on challenges by creating opportunity and approaching problems by looking and acting outside the norm. Singapore does not limit herself by whinging about its limitations, but by changing the nature of whatever disadvantages it has. Singapore is conscious especially of her high jet fuel needs as an important air hub. The small island nation has around 90 days reserves in petroleum, religiously complying with agreed international energy requirements. Singapore, even if it is a dot in land size, had long ago planned huge underground oil storage capability ( opposite to the consistent Australian government mentality and approach, when Australia is really a continental island and has more than sufficient geographical space to keep reserves of vital national assets). Australia has a population around 5 times bigger than Singapore. Singapore does not use much petrol and diesel for over land transport, compared to most of her neighbours. Goods and produce arrive via shipping and air transport, to which oil is most vital. Singapore does not have any natural resources and imports all its food requirements. Singapore is fortunately located in south east Asia, which sees significant trading routes, enormous shipping traffic and is an important hub for airlines. Singapore has positioned itself as a place to refuel, refresh and exchange. This is precisely why it maintains a huge stock of oil and refines them in huge quantities. Australia is more remotely located but geographically so large its domestic needs of petroleum of all kinds for use in private and commercial transport are more significant. This Southern Land has oil reserves but they lie mostly untapped due to a mish mash of complex reasons like environmental reasons, Indigenous cultural damage, possible lack of required commercial initiative by a sequence of governments and allowing foreign companies to walk over Australian independent strategic interests. The tendency to allow so called free market forces determine the production of refined oil in Australia has overruled national strategic interest considerations. Australia depends on oil based fertilisers to support its agricultural sector. Minimal refining capacity in Australia for so many years has now come home to roost related problems. Australia has liquefied natural gas capability, but has not taken the next step in utilising LNG to make helium like Oman ( which lies at the narrow Straits of Hormuz, opposite Iran). Helium is necessary as an ingredient to make or use in so many modern day applications ( straddling medicine, IT and more) - it can be ridiculous that some governments underestimate its importance. Australian governments seem content in history to export commodities, produce, minerals and resources in raw and unprocessed form overseas. Then Australians pay for the processed and transformed outcomes by importing them and paying foreigners. Successive Australian governments have a reluctance to regulate energy companies, especially foreign entities, and even allow outsiders to get gas at much cheaper rates than what Australian voters pay for domestically. There is no legislated prioritisation and reserve of petroleum and gas for use by domestic customers first, perhaps except in the state of Western Australia. In the current uncertainty affecting availability of oil, Australia has only 30 to 40 days reserves of oil. The significance of ASEAN in being key suppliers of refined petroleum to Australia has now come home to better realise and wake up to. Most of ASEAN have populations larger than Australia and when supply of oil generally gets cut off to them big time, how can Australian governments not make contingency anf future sufficiency plans before emergencies arise? ##yongkevthoughts