Aceh Governor writes to President Prabowo over Andaman oil and gas management
Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf, known as Mualem, has sent an official letter to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto regarding the management of oil and gas in the South Andaman Block, containing four specific requests.
‘Governor Mualem is proposing what is best for this country, especially for Aceh. There are four points conveyed. We are now waiting for a response from the central government,’ said Aceh Government Spokesperson Nurlis Effendi in Banda Aceh on Monday.
Nurlis stated that the Governor’s letter, numbered 500.16.7.2/7039, was received by the Ministry of State Secretariat on 30 June 2026. The subject concerns a review and revision of the approval for the Plan of Development (PoD) I for the Tangkulo Field within the South Andaman Working Area.
He explained that the letter to President Prabowo is also a response to the policy of Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia regarding the PoD. Through a letter dated 9 March 2026, Minister Bahlil approved a PoD for SKK Migas that stipulates crude oil processing will be carried out using a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility located at sea.
Nurlis outlined the four main points of the Governor’s letter. Firstly, the Aceh administration considers the revenue split for the region—set at 4 per cent for gas and 6 per cent for oil—to be too small and in need of review to better align with national and Acehnese interests.
Secondly, the provincial government is proposing an onshore processing scenario at the Arun Special Economic Zone, which has existing infrastructure from the former PT Arun NGL plant and is designated as a National Strategic Project under the national mid-term development plan and the Asta Cita vision of the Prabowo-Gibran administration.
Thirdly, Governor Mualem hopes President Prabowo will direct the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources to review and revise the approval of the Plan of Development I for the Tangkulo Field. The final point requests a specific allocation of oil and gas for Aceh.
Nurlis noted that the Andaman area contains six major blocks. The Tangkulo gas field is projected to produce around 300 million standard cubic feet per day, of which only 160 million has a sales commitment to the state electricity company PLN. The remaining volume, he argued, presents a significant opportunity for the growth of various downstream industries. The field is also expected to yield approximately 7,500 barrels of condensate per day, which can be processed into naphtha, kerosene, and gasoline for the petrochemical, paint, and fuel industries. ‘The real economic impact will emerge when these downstream industries are established and operational,’ Nurlis concluded.