ESDM Confirms Private Fuel Stations Have Purchased Diesel from Pertamina

Jakarta, VIVA – The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, through the Director General of Oil and Gas, Laode Sulaeman, stated that private fuel stations are currently purchasing diesel from Pertamina.

“Already, already. If you ask the private sector, they must have (purchased diesel from Pertamina),” Laode said at the Ministry of ESDM office in Jakarta on Wednesday, 6 May 2026.

He explained that since the government announced to private fuel stations to purchase diesel from Pertamina, several meetings between private fuel stations and Pertamina have already been held.

Therefore, the purchase of diesel from Pertamina by private fuel stations is now underway.

“Actually, since it was announced, meetings have already been conducted. It’s already underway,” Laode stated.

In February 2026, the Ministry of ESDM stated that private entities managing public fuel filling stations (SPBU) would use domestically produced diesel purchased from Pertamina starting April 2026.

There were points that Pertamina needed to prepare during the transition period, such as providing adequate loading ports, cargo adjusted to the volume ordered by each business entity, and pure fuel specifications or base diesel fuel tailored to the demands of the business entities.

These various points were discussed in a meeting between Laode and the entities managing SPBU as a mitigation step, so that no crisis related to the purchase of domestic diesel is expected in April.

The requirement to purchase diesel from Pertamina follows the Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP) at Refinery Unit V in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. The Balikpapan RDMP enables the refinery to process up to 360,000 barrels per day. That capacity is equivalent to 22–25 percent or a quarter of national needs.

Economically, the Balikpapan RDMP will have a significant impact on national energy independence, with savings on fuel imports of up to Rp68 trillion per year, and a contribution to the national GDP of Rp514 trillion.

When asked about private fuel stations purchasing diesel from Pertamina, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, also confirmed it. (Ant).