SINGAPORE: Saudi Arabia plans to store crude oil at Singapore’s Jurong Rock Caverns from the second half of financial year 2027 (2H27) to strengthen supply security in the region, energy ministers from both countries say.
The move comes after the United States-Israeli war on Iran severely disrupted energy supplies to Asia shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting countries to draw down inventories and raising concerns about stockpile levels globally.
Asia imported two-thirds of its oil supplies from the Middle East before the war.
“Saudi Arabia and Singapore are announcing our joint intent to establish an arrangement for Saudi crude oil to be stored at the Jurong Rock Caverns from 2H27,” Tan See Leng, Energy, Trade and Industry Minister, told the Singapore International Energy Week conference.
“This arrangement enhances the resilience of the Saudi crude oil supply chain in South-East Asia, as well as contributing to Singapore’s energy security and resilience in the event of supply disruptions.”
Tan said Saudi Aramco would sign a memorandum of understanding with the Energy Market Authority and JTC Corp, and aimed to conclude negotiations in a few months’ time.
“Bringing supply closer to key Asian markets would strengthen the flexibility of our supply network and support Singapore’s security of supply and preparedness,” Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud said in a video recording at the conference.
Located at a depth of 150 metres below the ground, the rock caverns at Jurong Island can store up to 1.47 million cb m, or roughly nine million barrels of liquid hydrocarbons such as crude oil and condensate.
Saudi Aramco currently stores crude in Japan and South Korea where local governments have priority to buy the supplies in the tanks in the event of an unexpected shortage. — Reuters
