40162
SPY
î 8 OCT 1980
3.5
BORIS
CONFIDEN
GRS 225
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 2805107 OCTOBER 80
TO PRIORITY SINGAPORE
TELEGRAM NUMBER 28 OF 28 OCTOBER
سیلا
shini An
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
1. OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS HONG KONG HAS BEEN FORMULATING A
PLAN TO INCREASE ITS STRATEGIC OIL STOCKS BY STORING 200 000 METRIC TONS OF FUEL OIL IN TWO TANKERS MOORED IN HONG KONG WATERS. RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION IS OWENSBORD ENTERPRISES LTD, A COMPANY COMPRISING H K GOVERNMENT THE TWO POWER COMPANIES AND THE TWO MAIN OIL COMPANIES WITH HKG HAVING THE
CONTROLLING INTEREST.
2. ARRANGEMENTS FOR PURCHASE OF FUEL OIL FROM THE ARAB GULF ARE ALMOST COMPLETE. IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE ECONOMICAL IF THE OIL COULD BE BROUGHT IN ONE LARGE TANKER TO SINGAPORE AND THERE TRANSHIPPED TO TWO SMALLER TANKERS FOR THE VOYAGE TO HONG KONG. WE WOULD NEED AN AREA OF THE HARBOUR FOR 3-4 DAYS PROBABLY ABOUT 17TH NOVEMBER. WE COULD MEET ANY TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS E.G. BOOM TO CONTAIN OPERATION. WE UNDERSTAND THAT SINGAPORE ALLOWS SUCH OPERATIONS ONLY FOR OIL FOR ITS OWN REFINERIES.
3. MOST GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD ASK SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT IF OWENSBORD COULD BE SO PERMITTED SINCE THIS IS A ONE-OFF, THERE IS
HKG INVOLVEMENT AND THIS IS A NON-PROFIT OPERATION.
4. A REPLY WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS IS IMPERATIVE SINCE IT AFFECTS
DECISIONS ON IMMINENT LOADING OF OIL IN THE GULF.
242
see
45
MACLEHOSE
MINIMAL
HRED (4)
ESS D
COPIES
HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE
LONDON
CONFIDENTAL