Singapore Pledges Energy Resilience Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty

At the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC) 2026 in Singapore, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang emphasized the need for energy resilience. She referenced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year, which reduced oil flows from about 20 million barrels per day to 2.7 million barrels per day between March and May.

Gan stressed that resilience is a strategic necessity, not a luxury. To achieve it, she outlined three key points: diversification must create real optionality, diversification must make commercial sense, and resilience depends on capabilities across the entire value chain.

The minister noted that while strategic reserves are a first line of defense, they are finite. True resilience requires alternative suppliers, routes, infrastructure, and demand-side responses that can be activated quickly. Singapore applies this principle by diversifying LNG imports from sources including the United States, Australia, and Africa, while about half of its natural gas is piped from the region.

Gan also highlighted the importance of regional cooperation on market information, emergency arrangements, and supply rerouting. She emphasized that no country can build resilience alone and cited ASEAN's reliance on Middle Eastern oil imports as a potential disruption risk.