ABSTRACT
Oil explorers and producers from the US and Europe have been active in Southeast Asia for more than a century, and have been using Singapore as a center from which they would organize expeditions to remote parts of the region, exchange information, obtain medical, engineering and logistical services, handle financial matters and deal with the regional authorities. Leveraging off Singapore's growing maritime role from the late nineteenth century, these pioneers contributed to the making of Southeast Asia's most developed business support infrastructure.
