OIL Companies in Vietnam $$$$$$

by Louis Wessling,(the PRESIDENT of SHELL OIL in VIETNAM, Dutch born, member USAF)

NOTE: While author may be an oligarch acquisition, his take on OIL is probably accurate. THIS DATA is about who's part of the gang bang in NAM which now contains EVERY deep pockets corporation and member of the 13 families. NO CIVILIANS. JUST RICH GUYS but their corporations are publicly traded so one can get in on the profits.

His article found at http://www.vietnamvetcontacts.com/gpage32.html

Vietnam VETS (for some reason ) are doing major research on this OIL QUESTION!! DOESN'T COMPUTE cuz if you were stupid enough to fight there you weren’t smart enough to know that the reason the US GOV was there was to get the single biggest oil deposit on the planet! (In ocean, offshore Nam,)

Caltex (CHEVON AND TEXACO) re-entered Vietnam in 1994, (the year U.S. TRADE EMBARGO was lifted,) with a Representative Office in Hanoi and a Branch Representative Office in Ho Chi Minh City (both known as CVRO). Caltex now has two licensed Joint Ventures in Vietnam, Caltex Lubricants Vietnam Ltd. (CLVL) and Caltex Bitumen Vietnam Ltd. (CBVL). CLVL has more than 2,000 lubricants point-of-sale outlets throughout Vietnam, with an office in Haiphong and Branch Offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. A Lube Oil Blend Plant is currently under construction in the northern city of Haiphong and is slated to begin operations in the first half of 1999. Caltex currently manufactures lubricants in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City through a licensed blending arrangement. Caltex also imports finished lubricants to the country through its network of Authorized Distributors.

CBVL's bulk bitumen storage and distribution facility, also located in Haiphong, is scheduled to come on-stream in the fourth quarter of 1998.CBVL is expected to import bitumen from Caltex' SPRC refinery in Thailand this year. Caltex continues to seek further investment opportunities in Vietnam.

Contact Details
Caltex Vietnam Representative Office
40 Cat Linh Street, Hanoi
Vietnam
Tel. (84-4) 733-2533
Fax. (84-4) 733-2536

Who's Caltex? The Caltex Petroleum Corporation is a joint venture of Texaco Inc. and Chevron Corporation. It is a major service station company with business all over Asia for many years. In order to strengthen its position in the
region, it has just started a US$500 million program to redesign its logo, and service stations. It will also add and build new ones. The company plans to invest a total of US$5 billion in Asia by year 2000. The target countries include: China, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, and Indonesia. Currently, Caltex's regional headquarter is in Singapore. It is going through a reorganization that will bring key executives to Singapore and closer to the market.

China and Vietnam are largely agrarian societies ruled by Communist parties. To rebuild their economies and maintain their monopoly power, the ruling parties have allowed fragments of a market economy to develop in a move towards socialist market economies. These reforms include opening up areas to foreign participation previously inaccessible. Privatization in these areas has been restricted mainly to production-sharing agreements (PSAs) and joint ventures. Unlike the countries of the FSU and Eastern Europe, both China and Vietnam in the past decade have experienced tremendous growth, which has increased the demand for energy supplies. In recent years, both countries have maintained a positive trend in the production of energy resources. However, China's energy sector recently has had trouble keeping up with its rapidly expanding economy, which is outstripping its energy supplies and raising its dependence on imported oil. Vietnam's emerging energy industry, on the other hand, is developing as a potential major net exporter of petroleum products and gas in the Asian-Pacific market.

China's petroleum industry is still under strong central control. Little has been done to allow foreign ownership of China's assets in its oil
and gas industry. The industry is dominated by four large state-owned corporations: two state petroleum companies and two downstream companies {see Endnote 169}. The largest of the two petroleum companies is the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), an integrated industrial organization founded in 1949 to plan, organize, and manage the exploration and development of onshore oil and natural gas resources. The CNPC controls more than 95 percent of China's onshore oil and natural gas fields. All offshore oil and gas exploration andproduction is under the control of the second petroleum company, the China National Offshore Oil and Gas Corporation (CNOOC). It was founded in 1982 to act as the state representative in joint developments with foreign companies of China's offshore oil and gas reserves.

The China National Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec), the state refiner, was formed in 1983 to develop an integrated Chinese refining
and petrochemical system. The China National Chemical Import and Export Corporation (Sinochem) is the import and export company responsible for trading international crude oil and oil products. It is the country's main importer of crude oil.

In 1993, China became a net oil importer for the first time. China's strategy is to increase domestic oil and gas output by stabilizing
production in eastern China's mature fields, by increasing the focus on exploration and development in the western regions and by continuing to encourage offshore development. Central to this strategy is an expansion of exploration and production joint ventures with foreign companies. Thus far, China has adopted a very limited form of privatization. Most foreign activity is in production-sharing contracts. Most oil and gas production comes from onshore activity; however, until recently, most foreign activity had been limited to offshore exploration and development. In 1993, the need to meet production targets led China toopen up onshore areas to foreign investors with the first of three
investment auctions.

Eastern China, the country's traditional producing region, is where most of the country's large oil and gas fields are located. Oil production
from eastern fields accounts for more than 90 percent of the country's total crude oil production of 3 million barrels per day {see Endnote
170}, but these aging fields are beginning to decline. China has recently emphasized exploration and development expenditures in western
regions, particularly in the Xinjiang region of the northwest. Most onshore tracts offered to foreign investors in the three investment
auctions are located in this area. Crude oil production in 1994 from the Xinjiang region in northwest China was 225,000 barrels per day {see
Endnote 171}. The three major basins in the Xinjiang region are Tarim,Turpan-Hami, and Junggar. Experts believe Tarim is the most promising as far as the possibility of finding "elephant-class" discoveries. However, Tarim's remoteness and lack of infrastructure have made it difficult for transportation facilities to keep up with discoveries, temporarily reducing production. To entice foreign companies who are concerned about getting their oil to market, China has launched a massive infrastructure expansion program in this region which will include pipelines, a trans-desert highway, parallel rail lines, and expanded storage. Offshore crude oil production in 1994 averaged 130,000 barrels per day {see Endnote 172}, 4.5 percent of China's total crude oil production. Until recently, all foreign activity was limited to offshore exploration and development. Offshore China was opened to foreign investors in 1982. Since then, the CNOOC has held four investment auctions. By 1994, foreign investment in China's offshore oil and gas exceeded $4 billion. Currently, there are 12 offshore oil and gas fields in operation, of which four include participation with foreign partners - ACT Operating Group of Agip SpA, Amoco and partners, Chevron, Japan's JHN Group, Phillips Petroleum, and Texaco {see Endnote 173}.

Natural gas makes up only about two percent of China's domestic energy production and has long been overshadowed by the country's coal and oil production. However, environmental concerns have led China to recently shift its oil and gas exploration and development emphasis towards natural gas, both on-and offshore. The CNPC plans to step up gas exploration and development in western China. Gas production is expected to increase offshore since China's largest offshore gas field, Yacheng 13-1 {see Endnote 174}, began producing in early 1996. In addition, the Sichuan gas project has been proposed to develop and rehabilitate fields in the Sichuan province, where most of China's gas is produced, in order to halt the decline in field productivity {see Endnote 175}. By the end of 1994, China's total refining capacity had reached 3.4 million barrels per day, making it the fourth largest refiner in the world, after the United States, the FSU, and Japan {see Endnote 176}. The country's refining capacity is rising, but not fast enough to accommodate China's soaring domestic demand for refined products. Thus, China has embarked on a major restructuring and expansion plan and started to encourage foreign joint venture participation. The focus is to modernize the industry to international standards and to add an additional refining capacity of about 1.4 million barrels per day by year 2000 {see Endnote 177}.

Beginning in the early 1990s, Sinopec led efforts to expand capacity and build new "grassroots" refineries by decentralizing the refining
industry. It began to allow other Chinese oil companies, such as the CNPC, to build refineries. However, government restrictions limiting
market access have made it difficult for potential foreign investors to finalize projects. For example, France's Elf Aquitaine pulled out of a
proposed $2.5-billion refinery project in Shanghai at the end of 1995, while Shell has yet to reach an agreement with Chinese officials to
build a refinery in the Guangdong province, after seven years of negotiations {see Endnote 178}.

As a result, although many proposals have been submitted by foreign companies, presently there are only two foreign companies with
investments in China's refining industry--France's TOTAL owns a 20-percent stake in a northeastern Chinese refinery, while ARCO owns a
stake of 9.9 percent in the Zhenhai Refining and Petrochemical Company {see Endnote 179}.

Vietnam

Unlike the countries of the Former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, who are restructuring their mature oil and gas industries, Vietnam is
building a nascent oil and gas industry, spurred by foreign investment. Due to this investment, Vietnam with virtually no hydrocarbon production a few years ago--produced 171,000 barrels per day of oil in 1995 {see Endnote 180}.

The country is already on its way to becoming a major source of petroleum in the Asian-Pacific energy market. Vietnam opened its economy
to foreign investment in 1988. However, U.S. companies did not begin investing until 1994, when the twenty-year U.S. trade embargo was lifted. Vietnam has tried to make the country more attractive to foreign investors by various reforms in its petroleum law. The country's first petroleum law was ratified in July 1993.

This law assigns upstream and downstream petroleum operations to the state-owned enterprise, Petrovietnam, founded in 1977. It also gives the company the power to parcel acreage to select contractors based on competitive investment auctions or other government-announced programs. Most foreign investments are in the form of production-sharing agreements or joint ventures. Vietnam also is directing foreign investor activity toward the building of infrastructure to include refineries, gas pipelines, and hydrocarbon-fueled power plants. Unlike many former Communist economies in transition, where uncertainty is causing lengthy delays, Vietnam has established a stable legal and tax environment that reduces uncertainity and enables companies to quickly move from the initial stage of signing agreements to the stage of producing the fields. However, regional territorial disputes are an impediment to the development of some of Vietnam's offshore petroleum resources.

Hydrocarbon potential off the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea and competition for additional energy reserves recently reignited a long-standing feud between China and Vietnam surrounding ownership of the Islands and adjacent waters. The territorial dispute arose again when China awarded an exploration block in the disputed waters to the U.S. independent oil company Crestone Energy Corporation. (URL) Subsidiary of BIG US CORP, FORTUNE 500 corp THOMSON GALE called also GOLIATH INDUSTRIES. and they mean it! THIS LAVENDAR STUFF WAS ADDED BY POSTER at LIST.

Later, Vietnam awarded an adjacent block to a Mobil-led consortium. Six countries China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Brunei, and Malaysia all lay claim to this part of the South China Sea {see Endnote 181}.

Virtually all Vietnamese exploration and production activity occurs off Vietnam's southeastern coast. By the end of 1994, after two licensing auctions and the signing of 25 offshore production-sharing agreements, the number of exploratory wells rose considerably {see Endnote 182}. Most petroleum production in Vietnam occurs in three fields, Bach Ho, Rong, and Dai Hung. The Bach Ho and Rong fields are operated by VietSovPetro, a Vietnamese-Russian joint venture. Bach Ho, the country's first and largest producing oil field, was discovered in 1975 by Mobil, which abandoned the well when the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam. The well was later developed in 1986 by VietSovPetro. Both the Rong and Dai Hung fields led by a BHP consortium composed of BHP, Petronas of Malaysia, Total, Sumitomo, and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation came on line in 1994 {see Endnote 183}.

Newly discovered fields could be on line soon, raising the country's production even further. For example, Petronas is developing its Ruby field, while Mitsubishi and Japan National Oil are developing the Rang Dongfield, with production in both fields to start by 1997. Other fields that could come on line are the Flying Horse, discovered by Lasmo; the Red Orchid and the West Orchid (both located in disputed waters), and the Sunflower North and South Fields, discovered by BP; as well as two other unnamed fields, one discovered by Total and the other discovered by Shell/Pedco. These major fields are all located in the Nam Con Son Basin {see Endnote 184}.

Despite initial exploration successes, geological difficulties are making it hard to estimate recoverable reserves, raising concerns over the viability of some projects. Several fields that were originally thought to be quite large are now being downgraded--for example, the BHP consortium's Dai Hung field and the Mobil consortium's Thanh Long block. Further, BHP is considering abandoning its Dai Hung project if new terms cannot be negotiated {see Endnote 185}.

Several recent gas discoveries have opened up the future of the gas industry in Vietnam. Perhaps the most significant activity involves two major gas field strikes in southern Vietnam drilled by British Petroleum
(BP) and its partners, India's ONGC, and Norway's Statoil, with reserves estimated at a combined 2 trillion cubic feet {see Endnote 186}.

Another area of discovery with potential gas reserves is at the Hai Thach gas field. It may take a few years before reserve estimates can be formulated, but if the country's proven natural gas reserves are estimated between 12-35 trillion cubic feet, Vietnam plans to commit itself to the development of a natural gas industry for domestic use as well as possible export markets {see Endnote 187}.

In April 1995, Vietnam commissioned a consortium comprised of BP, (BRIT.PETROL) British Gas, Mobil, and Mott Ewbank Preece (an IRISH, BRITISH corporation, incorporated in IRELAND for TAX REASONS, probably), develop a master national gas plan {see Endnote 188}. DId anyone ever think of TAX BENEFITS being off shore as close as IRELAND? Want to investigate that point? I Know ISLE OF JERSEY and GUERNSEY are tax Havens Brits use. SO WHICH RICH BRITS ARE BEHIND THIS CORP? Who are these masked men with a tiny piece of the NAM PIE?

In the meantime, Vietnam's first gas pipeline (built by Hyundai of Korea) went into operation in 1995, bringing production ashore from the Bach Ho field {see Endnote 189}.

Vietnam also is studying the possibility of exporting gas via pipeline to Thailand {see Endnote 190}.

Substantial upstream activity has led to Vietnam's generating plans for downstream oil and gas infrastructure projects. As Vietnam's economy grows, it plans to reduce its reliance on imports by building its first oil refinery by the year 2000. Vietnam commissioned two feasibility studies regarding the possible construction of a 130,000 barrels-per-day refinery. France's TOTAL, a consortium member of the study, withdrew from the project over objections concerning the chosen site, located in a remote area of central Vietnam. South Korea's LG Group, Petronas of Malaysia, and Conoco were chosen to replace TOTAL, but the companies said that no decision has been made beyond a feasibility study since there are doubts about the viability of the project {see Endnote 191}. Vietnam hopes to build a second 100,000- barrels-per-day refinery after the first plant comes on line {see Endnote 192}.

In the meantime, Petrovietnam has asked for bids to begin studies for a second refinery, likely to be located in the northern part of the
country. Despite foreign involvement in upstream activities, Vietnam has denied foreign investors access to its retail sector {see Endnote 193}.

15:54 2002-09-25

NEW OIL AND GAS RESERVOIRS FOUND IN VIETNAM

PTTEP Hoan Vu Ltd and PTTEP Hoang Long Ltd, two subsidiaries of PTT Exploration and Production in Vietnam found oil and natural gas during preliminary exploration drilling.

PTTEP holds 25% and 15% stakes in mentioned subsidiaries placed east of the port city of Vung Tau.

Preliminary results showed that one area has an oil flow rate of 250 barrels per day, while the other has an oil flow rate of around 2,500
barrels per day and 6.6 million cubic feet per day of natural gas.

PTTEP was established on June 20, 1985, by the Cabinet's resolution with an aim to strengthen the country's energy stability and to minimize petroleum imports from overseas. The government assigned the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (The Petroleum Authority of Thailand or PTT was later transformed to PTT Public Company Limited) to set up a company named PTT Exploration and
Production Company Limited or PTTEP to undertake core business in exploration, development and production of petroleum for the maximum benefits of the country. Subsequently, with an attempt to support the expansion of its exploration and production business in Thailand and overseas, and to reduce the government's investment burden, in 1992 PTTEP successfully raised fund from the public by floating shares in the stock market and registering as a public company. To date, PTTEP has a registered capital of 3,322 million Baht, with PTT acting as a major shareholder with 60.97% share.

For 16 consecutive years, PTTEP has continued to develop and expand its petroleum exploration and production business. With the intention to constantly explore the petroleum reserves for the country and the commitment of being efficient operator, PTTEP has gained sufficient strengthen to become an international exploration and production company and the Operator of 3 Projects, both onshore and offshore; PTTEP1 Project, Bongkot Project and Arthit Project. In addition, PTTEP has invested in petroleum exploration and production activities with other oil companies in 11 Projects both domestic and neighboring countries. PTTEP also seeks additional investment to increase its reserves in other high-potential areas to enhance the stability of national petroleum supply in the long term in Southeast Asia region and the Middle East, specifically in Indonesia, Vietnam, Iran and Oman.

Apart from its core business in petroleum exploration and production, PTTEP has enhanced its business into strategic downstream activity.
PTTEP has already invested in gas-fired power generation with Thaioil Power Co., Ltd. in small Power Producer project (SPP) and Independent Power Producer (IPP).

PTTEP, as one of Thailand's leading listed companies, has complied with good corporate governance in accordance with the laws and regulations to ensure the transparency and efficiency of its management, which leads to the sustainable growth and adds value to its business in the long run. In addition, PTTEP has begun a major effort of becoming a Learning Organization in corporating the principles and practices of the Society for Organizational Learning (SOL). PTTEP believes this effort will increase its ability to become a world class organization as stated in our vision.

Shell Vietnam's operations since its return to Vietnam in 1987 14-07-02 As the biggest petroleum conglomerate in the world, Shell
doesn't plan on staying behind in any business. We had the following interview with Mr. Nguyen Quoc Khanh, Shell Vietnam country chairman between 1996 and July 2002, and Mr. Nguyen Huy Tam, Shell Vietnam country chairman designate. Both talked about Shell Vietnam's operations since its return to Vietnam in 1987. Question: During the initial phase of its return to Vietnam, Shell
focused mainly on upstream operations. Why did Shell later shift this strategy?

Mr. Khanh: In oil and gas prospecting, luck plays a crucial role. Shell spent $ 164 mm on exploration operations off the coasts of Danang and
Vung Tau during the first eight years. Unfortunately, we couldn't find a well of commercial value. This fact urged Shell to reconsider its entire
business strategy to boost its profits and stock prices. Question: Will Shell resume prospecting in Vietnam in the future?

Mr. Khanh: To Shell, the pivotal strategy is still in upstream activities. As far as I know, the parent company is reconsidering the
Vietnamese market.

Question: If a resumption of upstream operation is feasible, will Shell focus on natural gas?

Mr. Khanh: We all know that Vietnam's gas prospect is greater than that of oil. In addition to oil and gas, Shell has recently been doing
business in the power industry. If we find gas wells with commercial value in Vietnam, it's definite that we'll consider investments in power
plants. Question: In 1996, Shell pulled out of the prospecting industry to engage in producing oil and gas products such as lubricants, bitumen, chemicals and liquefied gas. Given the small size of the Vietnamese market, where a host of competitors were already in place, do you think that strategic shift was justifiable? Mr. Khanh: When re-entering Vietnam, Shell set a long-term goal of doing business in all oil and gas-related industries, and achieving at least a 20 % market share in 15 years. In Vietnam, fuel is the biggest market. However, as the Government hasn't allowed foreign investors to enter the industry, yet we had to begin with products with lower market demands.
Question: Since 1996, Shell has pooled $ 50 mm in constructing a lubricant blending plant, a natural gas processing plant, and depots for
liquefied gas and bitumen in Haiphong, Cua Lo (Nghe An) and Go Dau (Dong Nai). What will Shell do to realize its goal of a 20 % market share in 15 years?

Mr. Tam: Shell never wants to be in third place in any industry. Our goal is to always be in the first or second position. Our current 5-year
plan is aiming at achieving this goal. Question: Does that mean that Shell will acquire a competitor to improve its lubricant market share?

Mr. Khanh: Everything is possible. If we look around and can find a win-win deal, why not?

Question: Is it true that Shell Vietnam is launching a special brand marketing campaign?

Mr. Tam: Shell Vietnam plans to provide more services for motorcyclists. After getting the license, we'll be willing to form partnerships with
anyone who wishes to join us in this network servicing motorcyclists. Shell Vietnam wants to create a new image at these outlets that can
provide whatever a motorcyclist needs.

Question: Could you elaborate on Shell's cherished plans? Mr. Khanh: We've already prepared some projects and have been waiting for the
Vietnamese Government to change policies so that we'll be able to implement them. In a working session with Shell leadership in Europe,
Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Xuan Gia said in a few years' time, Vietnam would open its retail fuel market to foreign investors.
Question: Shell Vietnam personnel, from the country chairman down, are all Vietnamese. Is this a Shell strategy?

Mr. Tam: Recently, Shell has adopted the "diversification of the grey matter" theory. In line with this theory, the core of personnel at Shell
in any country must be locals. In 1993, Shell Vietnam's foreign staff numbered 26. Now, there're only two, a Filipino and a Thai.
When applying for the investment license [in Vietnam], we pledged that between three and five years, we would replace foreign staff with
locals. Shell Vietnam is among the companies that have best kept their word in this regard.

Nguyen Quoc Khanh Date of birth: May 9, 1942
Nationality: French
Profession: Engineer

Over the past 37 years, Nguyen Quoc Khanh has been with Shell until he retired from Shell Vietnam country chairmanship this July. A Vietnamese French, Khanh joined Shell France as an IT project manager in 1965 after graduating from the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines (National School of Mining) in St Etienne, France. In 1994, he was promoted to Shell France IT director after holding various posts in the company. In April 1996, he was appointed country chairman of Shell Vietnam. Prior to his chairmanship Khanh had contributed to the resumption of Shell operations in Vietnam by engaging in the licensing process of Shell investments.

Over the three consecutive years from 1996 to 1998, under the chairmanship of Khanh, Shell Vietnam set up three major plants for finished oil and gas products. In 1996, Shell Vietnam operated its bitumen depot in Cua Lo. One year later, it opened the Haiphong LPG Depot/bottling plant. And in 1998, the Go Dau Terminal & Plants combination was inaugurated.

In 2000, the Go Dau LOBP (Lubes Oils Blending Plant) 1st phase was put into use, and last year the Go Dau main LOBP became fully operational. In addition, Khanh successfully bought out partners in the lubes joint venture in 1999, and in the bitumen joint venture in 2000 to make these two companies 100 % Shell-owned. It also completed the merger of four 100 %-Shell-owned companies into Shell Vietnam.

Brief history:
1962-1965:
Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines (St Etienne, France)
1965-1970:
Shell France, IT project manager
1970-1972:
Shell France, assistant treasurer
1972-1974:
Shell France, head, Management Accounts
1974-1976:
SIPM The Hague, head, Financing, European Co-ordination
1976-1979:
Shell France, head, regional supply & distribution manager
1979-1982:
Shell Chimie (Paris), controller
1982-1985:
SIPC London, finance advisor, African Regional Co-ordination
1985-1994:
Shell Chimie (Paris), financial director
1994-Mar. 1996:
Shell France, IT director
Apr. 1996-now:
Shell Vietnam country chairman.
Board chairman of five Shell companies in Vietnam, including Shell
Codamo (Lubes) Vietnam, Shell Bitumen Vietnam, Shell Chemicals Vietnam,
Shell Gas Saigon and Shell Gas Haiphong. General manager of Shell Codamo
Vietnam, and after the merger of four 100 % Shell-owned companies in
January 2002, board chairman cum general manager of Shell Vietnam.

Nguyen Huy Tam
Date of birth: Dec. 4, 1949
Nationality: Vietnamese

Education: BA in Linguistics

During his military service between 1966 and 1971, Nguyen Huy Tam personally defused and removed over 200 mines, and retard and magnetic bombs. Tam and his regiment at the 17th Parallel helped keep the traffic on the historic Ho Chi Minh Trail from disruption. In 1969, Tam was awarded "Best Soldier of the Year" for his military achievements, especially for his initiative in defusing magnetic bombs. Between 1971 and 1975, Tam studied linguistics at the University of Foreign Languages in Hanoi. He held several positions between 1976 and 1992 before joining Shell Vietnam Exploration as a senior personnel advisor. Since 1996, Tam has worked closely with Shell Vietnam Country Chairman and General Manager Nguyen Quoc Khanh. He and Khanh conducted supervision on all Shell Vietnam activities.

Since his assignment as the GM of Shell Bitumen Vietnam in late 2000, Tam took decisive actions in increasing the Cua Lo depot's capacity at minimum costs. He also set up transit plants in Phap Van, Dong Ha, Quang Ngai and Nha Trang. Put into operation last year, the four new plants -- together with the Cua Lo and Go Dau depots -- have improved Shell Vietnam's bitumen supply capacity to cover the entire Vietnamese market. The new move led to the company's encouraging business results in the bitumen industry last year.

Brief history:
1966-1971:
Soldier, Vietnam People's Army
1971-1975:
University of Foreign Languages, Hanoi
1976-1979:
Translator of English, HIF AB & SIDA
1980-1981:
War correspondent
1981-1983:
Vietnam manager, Interflug
1984-1988:
Teacher of medical English, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, HCM
City
1989-1992:
Senior assistant on Programmers and Supply Chain, UNICEF
1992-1995:
Senior personnel advisor, Shell Vietnam Exploration
Oct. 1995-Jan. 1998:
HR manager of Shell Vietnam (downstream)
Feb. 1998-Apr. 2000:
Aviation Business Development manager, Shell Vietnam (downstream);
board director of Shell Codamo Vietnam, Shell Gas Haiphong and Shell
Bitumen Vietnam
Apr. 2000-Oct. 2000:
Business Support Services manager, Shell Vietnam (downstream)
Nov. 2000-May 2002:
General manager of Shell Bitumen Vietnam
July 15, 2002:
Country chairman cum board chairman/GM of Shell Vietnam.
Source: The Financial Times

Shell Vietnam applies to merge four of its five businesses 08-11-01 Shell Vietnam has applied for permission to merge four of its five businesses and is awaiting final approval from the country's Ministry of Planning and Investment, a company official said. "We have approved to merge four of our five businesses, because we believe this will enhance operational efficiency and bring better service to our customers," he said. "Our strategy is to function as one operation, have one direction, under one management." Shell plans to merge Shell Bitumen, Shell Codamo; seller of lubricants, Shell Gas Saigon; seller of LPG, and Shell Vietnam Chemicals, into one entity by December 2001. Shell Gas Hai Phong will remain an independent company, as it is a joint venture with Vietnam's Haiphong Total Gas, he added. Source: Platts Fuelling the War : Revealing an Oil Company's Role in Vietnam Louis Wesseling

For the last three years of the Vietnam War, the author of this book was
Chief Executive of Shell Vietnam. As such he controlled half the
country's oil supply which was purchased by the Americans, used by the
South Vietnamese, fought for by the Vietcong and often supplied to the
North Vietnamese and Vietcong armies through indirect channels. This
book is his account of the role of oil in that war. The action takes
place mainly in Saigon among ambassadors, generals, politicians,
bankers, businessmen, CIA agents, spies and hustlers. Wesseling recounts
the behind-the-scenes manipulation and skulduggery which formed a
little-known part of the Vietnam War.

Fuelling the War : Revealing an Oil Company's Role in Vietnam
Louis Wesseling

Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly

As a Dutch business executive who ran Shell Oil’s operations in Vietnam
from 1972 to 1975, Wesseling offers a perspective that has so far been
missing in the vast Vietnam War literature: that of a well-compensated,
well-connected corporate higher-up living and working in Saigon. Much of
the book is a re-creation of Wesseling’s life and times among the
business, military and political elite in Vietnam during the war’s last
three years. His well-drawn portraits of some of the characters he
worked and rubbed shoulders with are among the book’s high points. Less
successful are Wesseling’s sketchy history of Vietnam and anti-Communist
critiques of the way the French and Americans fought their wars in
Indochina from 1945 to 1975. The book’s most notable absence, however,
is the lack of a full account of how Shell and other oil companies
actually fueled the American war machine in Vietnam. Given the
well-known rampant corruption in South Vietnam during the American war,
the 7% of Shell Oil that Wesseling estimates wound up in the enemy’s
hands seems low. (July) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information,
Inc.

Book Description This is the story of the role of oil in the Vietnam
war. What is revealed here for the first time is how American oil
suppliers also ended up fuelling the communist armies—under the blind
eye of Shell—with shipments flowing through indirect channels. The
action takes place mostly in Saigon among ambassadors, generals,
politicians, bankers, businessmen, CIA agents, spies and hustlers, and
for the first time unveils the behind-the-scenes manipulation and
skulduggery which formed the unknown part of the Vietnam War.

About the Author Louis Wesseling is a law graduate from Leiden and an
USAF officer and pilot trainer in the USA.