Tuesday, November 6, 1973
MEASURES TO MEET POSSIBLE OIL SHORTAGE BEING CONSIDERED
Contingency plans including the possibility of control over oil
supplies and distribution are being considered by the government should
a world shortage develop as a result of the situation in the Middle East.
There is at the moment, no firm indication of how, or when,
Hong Kong might be affected.
Consequently no decision has yet been taken on the form of control
or the timing which might be necessary.
A government spokesman said this today when commenting on news-
paper reports that major oil companies are considering the introduction of
petrol rationing within the next two weeks.
He said that, through the Petrol and Oils Advisory Committee and
other contacts, the government maintains constant touch with the situation.
"As far as we know, the oil companies have not ennounced plans
for a general cut back in supplies in the immediate future", he pointed out.
At present, oil supplies to Hong Kong continue normally and there
has been no decrease in supply compared with that before the recent war
in the Middle East.
Excluding aviation and the bunkering of ships, Hong Kong's daily
oil consumption is between 8,000 and 9,000 long tons, and the current stocks
represent, depending on the type of product, between 30 and 50 days consumption
in general terms. Stocks change daily and it is impossible to be exact.
The spokesman
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