ENTERPRISE IN OIL : THE HISTORY OF SHELL IN SINGAPORE, 1890-1960

Abstract

Commerce and trade have been the backbone of Singapore's economy. Yet the study of company history has often been overlooked at the expense of a more wholesome understanding of society in general and the development of the local economy in particular. This academic study hopes to stimulate an interest in this much neglected area. It is a study of how a major private enterprise with a considerable history in the petroleum industry established itself and made contributions to local trade and economic growth. While this study does not claim to be exhaustive, it nonetheless seeks to reconsruct the growth and development of the Royal Dutch/Shell company in Singapore. Basically, I have tried to present an integrated chronological and thematic approach to this academic exercise. The period 1891 to 1960 is chosen so as to focus specifically on the nature and organisation of the Royal Dutch/Shell company before it ventured into oil refining. The author feels that the post-1960 period merits in independent study. The first chapter lays the groundwork in delineating the circumstances in which the Royal Dutch/Shell came into being and how it operated during the early years of its existence. Chapter two examines the growth of the company to the eve of the Japanese Occupation. The third chapter looks at Shell's operations during the war years and how it coped with the postwar changes. Finally, the concluding chapter provides the analysis of the factors contributing to the success of the Royal Dutch/Shell in Singapore and the significance of this.