After 28 years of stagnation, Prabowo pushed Inpex directly in Tokyo to advance Masela Block

President Prabowo Subianto has revealed the behind-the-scenes story of how he resolved the 28-year stagnation of the giant gas reserve development in the Abadi Basin, Masela Block, Maluku, by directly approaching top Inpex executives in Tokyo and urging them to immediately accelerate the development stages. “It had been stagnant for 28 years. I went to Tokyo, I met the leaders of those Japanese companies, Inpex, and I conveyed to them politely and courteously: ‘Are you still interested? If you are not interested, I will allocate it, I will appoint another company.’ Polite, but firm,” Prabowo said during a Plenary Cabinet Session at the State Palace, Jakarta, on Monday. “As a friendly Indonesian nation, it is impossible for us to give an ultimatum, right? It was not an ultimatum, it was an appeal. Truly. ‘Your Excellency, is Japan still interested? The issue is that the Indonesian nation really needs energy, really needs foreign exchange.’ After that, upon returning home, well, if the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources can be ‘pressured’ by me, that is fine,” the President continued. The President met with top Inpex officials and a dozen other prominent Japanese company leaders in Tokyo, Japan, as part of a state visit on 31 March 2026. Following the meeting in Tokyo, the President then issued instructions to Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia. “Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, if there is no activity within six months, revoke it! Now we do not tolerate it. Cultivation Rights, Building Rights, business permits, if there is no activity within two years, revoke them!” Prabowo stated. Less than four months after the President’s meeting with the Inpex boss, Prabowo on 16 July 2026 officiated the groundbreaking of the Abadi Basin LNG project in the Masela Block, Maluku. At the ceremony, which Prabowo attended virtually, Inpex CEO Takayuki Ueda was present in person in Maluku. During the event, the President praised Ueda for learning Indonesian and delivering part of his report in the language.