The government is promoting the acceleration of the Abadi Masela gas\nproject realisation, which has been delayed for decades. Energy and\nMineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia has requested Japanese\nenergy company Inpex Corporation to expedite project stages to prevent\nfurther delays.<\/p>\n
Bahlil conveyed this during a meeting with Inpex CEO Takayuki Ueda in\nTokyo, Japan on Sunday, 15 March 2026. \u201cBecause we want this to happen\nquickly, so it doesn\u2019t drag on again. It\u2019s been 27 years, do we have to\nwait until I\u2019m 60 years old before it\u2019s completed? Especially since\nthat\u2019s my mother\u2019s hometown,\u201d Bahlil stated, according to the official\nMinistry of Energy and Mineral Resources website, Monday, 16 March\n2026.<\/p>\n
In the meeting, Bahlil emphasised the importance of the massive gas\nproject in the Arafura Sea reaching the final investment decision stage\npromptly. He noted that the Abadi Masela project is estimated to require\napproximately US$20 billion in investment, equivalent to Rp339 trillion\nusing an exchange rate assumption of Rp16,900 per US dollar. He assessed\nthe project as having potential to become a new economic driver in\neastern Indonesia whilst serving as a gas supply source for domestic\nindustry.<\/p>\n
Bahlil also conveyed that project progress has currently reached\napproximately 25 per cent. The government has requested that the\nfront-end engineering and design (FEED) stage be advanced to the second\nquarter or at the latest the third quarter of 2026. Concurrently, the\nEngineering Procurement Construction (EPC) tendering process is expected\nto proceed in parallel to expedite project construction.<\/p>\n
Bahlil also offered the possibility that Abadi Masela field\nproduction, projected to reach 9 million tonnes per annum, could be\npurchased by Danantara should no serious buyers emerge by end-April\n2026. According to him, this approach could provide market certainty\nwhilst supporting domestic gas needs, including for downstream\nprocessing programmes.<\/p>\n
Bahlil noted that various administrative requirements have been\nfulfilled. Environmental approval through the Environmental Impact\nAssessment (AMDAL) document was issued on 13 February 2026. Previously,\nforest area release approval from Indonesia\u2019s Ministry of Forestry had\nbeen issued in January 2026. Consequently, he requested that Inpex\nremain consistent in meeting the agreed project stage targets so that\nthe Abadi Masela project can soon enter the construction phase.<\/p>\n
In response, Takayuki Ueda stated that his company is committed to\naccelerating the project\u2019s realisation. He noted that the Masela project\nhas long been Inpex\u2019s focus and the meeting with the Indonesian\ngovernment was valued as strengthening the company\u2019s momentum to drive\nacceleration of its completion.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bahlil-urges-inpex-corp-to-accelerate-abadi-masela-project-1773662015", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }