ASIA PACIFIC ENERGY RESEARCH CENTRE ENERGY SECURITY INITIATIVE: SOME ASPECTS OF OIL SECURITY 2003 Published by Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre Institute of Energy Economics, Japan Inui Bldg.-Kachidoki 16F, 1-13-1 Kachidoki Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0054 Japan Tel: (813) 5144-8551 Fax: (813) 5144-8555 Email: address:
[email protected] ã 2003 Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre APEC#203-RE-01.3 ISBN 4-931482-22-8 Printed in Japan PAGE II FOREWORD This report, Energy Security Initiative: Some Aspects of Oil Security, continues the ongoing efforts of the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre to inform and assist APEC member economies on the energy security issues and challenges facing the region. In these turbulent times, threats to energy supply and price volatility, especially as they pertain to oil, occur almost daily. Hence energy security issues are high on the agenda of governments, policymakers and other energy market participants. Previous APERC projects on energy security have focussed on strategic oil stockpiles. In this report, we focus on the Asian Premium pricing and export and import dependence issues as they apply to oil security. Both issues are of particular interest and concern to the oil importing economies of APEC Asia but are also of relevance to other APEC economies given the global nature of aspects of the oil industry. Thus, although energy security issues are many and varied, as are the circumstances facing each member economy, I hope that this report will contribute not only to the ongoing discussion, but also to the improvement, of energy security in APEC member economies and the APEC region as a whole.