This book was prepared under the auspices of the Joint Energy Programme of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) and the East-West Center. The goals of the Joint Energy Programme, which was initiated in 1988, are to develop a data base and conduct analyses on key aspects of the energy economies of the Asian-Pacific region and its major constituent nations. A further purpose of the Programme is to utilize the expertise at the East-West Center for the development of a research capability within ISEAS with respect to major aspects of energy supply and demand of the region. A number of monographs and papers have already been completed and published under the Joint Programme.

The main objectives of this book are to assess the energy situation in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and to analyse the key aspects of the energy policies of the member countries, viz. Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, in broader regional and international perspectives. The book provides a comparative analysis of the energy situation and policies in the region as well as detailed country studies of all the ASEAN countries except Brunei. (A country study on Brunei has not been included due to lack of data.)

There are primarily three reasons for focusing this study on ASEAN. First, ASEAN countries have been economically dynamic. They have all adopted export-oriented policies and have had rapid economic growth making their economies highly interdependent with the rest of the world. Second, the energy demand, especially demand for oil and gas in this region, has been spectacular – in fact, one of the highest in the world. Third, the region provides a unique combination of countries in terms of energy resources and activities. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei are three major producers of oil and gas and depend heavily on these resources for foreign exchange earnings and government revenues. Singapore, the largest oil-refining and trading centre in the Asian-Pacific region, is a major exporter of petroleum products. On the other hand, the Philippines and Thailand depend overwhelmingly on imported oil. These factors make ASEAN an interesting region for energy study.