Indonesia Still Imports 20 Million KL of Petrol Annually, But Not from Arab Countries

The government has revealed that Indonesia still imports a significant volume of petrol fuel oil (BBM), amounting to around 20 million kilolitres (KL) per year. However, these imports do not originate from Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia.

Initially, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia explained that the total national BBM requirement for 2026 is estimated at 39 million to 40 million KL.

“Our total annual requirement is 39 million kilolitres for 2026, up to 40 million. It varies slightly between diesel and petrol,” Bahlil stated at the Sinergi Alumni IPB Untuk Bangsa event on Saturday (2/4/2026).

According to Bahlil, prior to the operation of the Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP) Balikpapan project, domestic BBM production capacity was only about 14.3 million KL, necessitating imports of up to 25 million KL of BBM.

However, following the start of operations at the RDMP Balikpapan refinery, the national petrol production capacity has increased significantly.

“With the RDMP we operate, it produces 5.6 million to 5.7 million kilolitres of petrol. That means our imports are now down to 20 million. And we do not import this from Middle Eastern countries. So there is no BBM coming from countries passing through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

Previously, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) indicated that Indonesia’s dependence on petrol imports is dominated by several key countries, with Singapore holding the top position as the largest supplier.

Secretary of the Directorate General of Oil and Gas Muhammad Rizwi Jilanisaf Hisjam detailed that in 2025, around 63% of Indonesia’s petrol imports came from Singapore. The next position was occupied by Malaysia with a contribution of 33.14%.

“The dominant source for petrol oil imports is Singapore and Malaysia because, to date, petrol needs still require imports,” he said during a Working Meeting with Commission XII of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), quoted on Thursday (9/4/2026).

Meanwhile, contributions from other countries are relatively small. These include China at about 1.32%, Oman at 1.05%, the United Arab Emirates at 0.72%, and Korea at 0.48%.

This trend continues into 2026. Up to early April, Singapore remains the main supplier with a share increasing to around 64.23%. This is followed by Malaysia with a contribution of 27.18%.

The remainder is supplied by Oman and the United Arab Emirates in much smaller portions compared to the two main countries.