Bahlil: Two Months of Turmoil in the Middle East, National Fuel Stock Remains Stable

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia has provided the latest updates on fuel oil (BBM) amid the turmoil in the Middle East. He assured that the national BBM situation is now secure, even exceeding the minimum standards. This was stated by Bahlil after attending a limited meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Monday (27/4/2026). “Today we held a limited meeting with the President. I reported on the developments in our national energy sector, including BBM products such as diesel and petrol. From all aspects, alhamdulillah, everything is above the national minimum standards,” said Bahlil. “So alhamdulillah, it has been almost two months since the geopolitical incident in the Middle East regarding the Strait of Hormuz, and we remain stable,” he continued. In addition to BBM, Bahlil reported that crude oil stocks for domestic refinery development are in a safe condition. “Regarding crude oil for refinery development, alhamdulillah, the stocks are above the national minimum standards. So relatively, there are no problems,” he added. On that occasion, the government is also continuing to seek solutions to reduce dependence on LPG imports. Currently, national LPG consumption reaches around 8.6 million tonnes per year, but domestic production is only between 1.6 and 1.7 million tonnes. “The rest, we import about 7 million tonnes. And this has been the case since the conversion from kerosene to LPG,” he said. The government is now studying several alternatives, including the development of dimethyl ether (DME) from low-calorie coal and compressed natural gas (CNG) options. According to Bahlil, these steps are expected to promote national energy independence, particularly in the LPG sector. “Then, we are looking for alternatives, we are converting to produce DME from low-calorie coal. That is one of the alternatives,” he said. “Now, it is still under discussion, as I reported earlier, we are making CNG. But this is still being discussed, I need to finalise it, and this is one of the best alternatives to push for energy independence in the LPG sector,” Bahlil continued.