Antara News·Indonesia·Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 03:51 AM

Indonesia to continue Russian oil imports if compliant: minister

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Aria Ananda, Yashinta Difa

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Minister Bahlil Lahadalia confirmed that Indonesia will continue importing Russian crude oil as long as transactions remain economically viable and compliant with international regulations.

Speaking to media in Jakarta on Friday, Lahadalia emphasized that meeting national energy demands and protecting public interests remain top government priorities amid global market volatility.

"We are looking for a priority scale that can secure our crude supply first, as long as it does not violate the rules and is economically viable," he said.

He added that Indonesia's long-standing free and active foreign policy guides these trade decisions.

"The sovereignty of our nation cannot be interfered with by anyone," Lahadalia stressed.

The confirmation comes as domestic crude oil production continues to fall short of targets, with ministry data recording output at 571,731 barrels per day as of Sept. 8, missing the 2026 lifting target of 610,000 barrels per day.

To bridge the deficit, Indonesia is executing a multi-phase import plan totaling 150 million barrels of Russian crude through the end of 2026.

Lahadalia confirmed that following the arrival of the first shipment in August, the second procurement phase is underway.

Unlike conventional state energy purchases executed by PT Pertamina, Russian oil deals are being managed by the ministry's Oil and Gas Testing Center (Lemigas) under government-to-government (G2G) framework agreements that transition into government-to-business (G2B) contracts.

The procurement mechanism is anchored in Presidential Regulation No. 26/2026, enacted in April to bolster national energy security by streamlining imports of petroleum, fuel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for domestic refineries.

The ongoing energy partnership follows statements by President Prabowo Subianto at the 11th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok earlier this month, where he reiterated Indonesia's openness to expanding upstream and downstream oil and gas cooperation with Russia.

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