Bahlil Secures Two Oil Shipments from Singapore Following Supply Incident

Jakarta — Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia has reported to President Prabowo Subianto an incident involving the detention of imported crude oil shipments originating from Singapore.

Bahlil described the incident as a serious matter of concern for the government in ensuring national energy supply security, particularly ahead of the Eid al-Fitr 2026 period.

He explained that the incident involved two crude oil shipments purchased by PT Pertamina (Persero) through intermediaries or traders. He disclosed that both vessels were suddenly ordered to reverse direction by the seller, despite having already entered Indonesian territorial waters.

“Three or four days ago we purchased oil from Singapore, it had been dispatched through Pertamina traders and was already in Indonesian waters, and then we were told to send two cargoes back,” Bahlil stated during a plenary cabinet session at the State Palace on Friday (13 March 2026).

According to him, this occurred due to intensifying competition in the global energy market, which has led to the disregard of normal trading rules. Limited supply amid high demand has caused intermediaries to divert goods to other buyers willing to offer higher prices.

“So now in the current economy, regarding oil, normal rules no longer apply. Whoever has money buys, because goods are scarce,” he added.

As a follow-up measure, the government coordinated with Pertamina to take firm action by lodging formal complaints and threatening legal action. Thanks to this firmness, which was also directed by the President, Bahlil stated that the seller eventually backed down and agreed to return both oil cargoes to Indonesia.

“For those two vessels, we coordinated with Pertamina and filed a complaint, and by 18 March both cargoes will be returned, sir, otherwise we will pursue legal action,” he concluded.