Bahlil Refuses to Be Selective with Oil Imports to Ensure Indonesia's Fuel Availability

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia has a mission to ensure the availability of fuel oil (BBM) for Indonesia. To that end, the country will not be selective about importers who can provide oil. “The state must guarantee the availability of BBM. So, we shouldn’t be picky now; from any country as long as it’s available,” Bahlil said, quoted from Kompas.com on Monday (6/4/2026). Even so, the government must compete with other countries to obtain competitively priced oil supplies. “Imagine now, people have already tendered, the goods are there, but when someone buys at a higher price, the seller could potentially divert to the higher bidder,” he explained. “LPG is still safe, God willing. What we take from the Middle East has been diverted to other countries like America, Australia, and several others,” he stated. Previously, the government explored oil imports from Russia in March 2026. “Russia is ready to start supplying oil to Indonesia’s state-owned company, Pertamina, if Indonesia submits a request to Moscow,” reported TASS on Wednesday (1/4/2026). Subsequently, Tolchenov conveyed that they are flexible regarding the oil supply terms to Indonesia. “Russia has not yet received an official request from either the state company or the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, but remains open to discussing possible proposals. Tolchenov assured that Moscow is ready to demonstrate flexibility in agreeing to supply terms,” he explained. It is known that Indonesia’s oil reserves are in a safe position despite the turmoil in the Middle East.