SOVIET BLOC MERCHANT SHIPS BUNKERING AND LOADING CARGO AT BALIKPAPAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-01203A000200060002-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 4, 2001
• Sequence Number: 2
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved %r Release 2001/08/26 : CIA-RDP79-01Z 000200060002-6.,
. S E~C R-EpT
ONI1 DIA and State Dec lass ificafion1elease
Attachment
Instructions on File
EDIC/ID-5
SOVIET BLDC I1 CHANT SHIPS BUNKERING AND LOADING CARGO AT BALIKPAPAN
la Early this year the Naval Attache at Djakarta, Indonesia, became
concerned with the possibility that Soviet bloc vessels earoute to
Communist China might be transiting the Sunda and Macassar Straits,
and proceeding east of the Philippines to North China. In Maq 1954
it was confirmed that this more southerly route had been used by an
unidentified number of Polish shipsin September and November 1953
and again in February and March 1954. However, since no bloc vessels
had called at Surabaja, the normal bunkering port for the southern
route,,it was apparent that bunkering at Balikpapan (east coast of
Borneo) was a definite possibility. The sole source of bunkers at
Balikpapan is N. V. de Bataafache Petroleum Maatechappij (Eft), Djakarta, apparently a subsidiary of the Royal Dutch-Shell group, in
which the British are interested financially.
25X1 20 may 1954 upon returning from a trip to
Balikpapan confirms the ac a usa and Polish ships had bunker-
lmAttache
duStites cNaval
ed at that port during the past year, ThecUnited
25X1 inquired o
of this repo . e o e a it was possible that some
Soviet bloc ships were putting in at Balikpapan, but that he know of
none. However, he volunteered further investigation provided he was
furnished with names of vessels and dates of-port calls.
3o In September 1954 he United States Air Attache also visited
Balikpapan, and while touring the refinery and docks was permitted
briefly to peruse the ship arrival and departure book. Upon his re-
turn to Djakarta he reported to the Naval Attache that during the past
year at least five Soviet,and seyen Polish vessels
through iprasentative
at Balikpapan, CINCNEIM The queried Office of
~s Naval Shipping Editor on this question who re-
not
plied that Lloyd's representative in residence at BBacl vessels papa had
from that
reported the arrival or departure of any
port.
25X1
DIA
DIA 25X1 4. On 25 September, the United States Air Attache contacted 25X1
at Djakarta who, although reluctant to impart any information on
? ova loc shipping with respect to Balikpapan, furnished the following
information concerning the sailinga of bloc ships from that porn. It
will be noted that ships' names were not included, and that only three
vessels bunkered- the remaining six loaded cargo, including paraffin wax.
5-E-C-RE T
Approved For Release 2001/08/26 : CIA-RDP79-01203A000200060002-6
 Approve
Attachment
EDIC/ID 5
,r Release 2001/08/26 : CIA-RDP79-0- 293A000200060002-6
DESTINATION GIVE-'I) CARGO REC ' D
Bunkers Cargo
Bunkers Cargo
Bunkers & Tanker
1100 Cases paraffin
wax*
2000 Cases Cargo
paraffin wax*
2049 Cases Cargo
paraffin wax*
orders) General Cargo
orders) General Cargo
orders) General Cargo
orders) General Cargo
N
Polish
9 Feb/9 Feb
Gydgnia
O
Polish
14-15 Feb
Gydgtzia
N
Russian
2-6 Mar
Odessa
E
G
I
Rumanian
11-18 Mar
Odessa
V
E
Russian
3-9 Apr
Odessa
N
Polish
5 Apr/5 Apr
Constanta(for
Polish
29 Apr/29 Apr
Constanta(for
Polish
1-20 Aug
Constanta(for
nussian
14 Sep
Constanta(for
Cases of 2 X 20 lbso
25X1 5. who was most. insistent that he not be iden-
tified as the source of this information, also revealed that had DIA 25X1
DIA issued instructions to forbidding divillgence of any information
25X1 to anyone on the movements o oviet bloc ships into and out of Balikpapan.
This action was attributed to strained relations the govern- 25X1
ment of Indonesia. However, source reported that the Indonesian government
does not object to the bunkering of Soviet bloc vessels at Balikpapan whether
east or west bound.
6. The Office of Naval Intelligence is continuing its investigation of this
situation. Meanwhile however, the reported activities of Soviet bloc mer-
chant ships at port of Balikpapan are believed to constitute the potential
for a serious circumvention of export and bunker controls.
SE-C-RAE-T
Approved For Release 2001/08/26 : CIA-RDP79-01203A000200060002-6