Major Reserves in Geliga Gas Well, Government Targets Reducing Imports

The government has announced the discovery of substantial gas reserves in the Geliga-1 well, Ganal Block, situated in the Kutai Basin off the coast of East Kalimantan. This discovery bolsters optimism regarding the national oil and gas resource potential amid increasing global and domestic energy needs, while affirming Indonesia’s position as a prospective region for deep-sea gas exploration. Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia stated that the reserves amount to around 5 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas, plus an additional 300 million barrels of condensate. “Eni has newly acquired a giant working area from the Geliga well, yielding 5 trillion cubic feet of gas, and we have obtained approximately 300 million barrels of oil equivalent condensate,” Bahlil revealed during a press conference at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Jakarta on Monday (20/4/2026). This discovery was also officially announced by Eni. In a written statement quoted on Wednesday (22/4/2026), the company described it as a giant gas reserve discovery located about 70 kilometres from the East Kalimantan coast. The find is viewed as a positive signal in strengthening the national energy supply. Amid global trends where many countries are tightening their energy reserve management, this discovery is seen as a strategic opportunity for Indonesia to enhance energy resilience based on domestic resources. According to Bahlil, this exploration success indicates that Indonesia still holds significant potential in the oil and gas sector that can be optimised to support energy self-sufficiency targets. He stressed that exploration efforts must be continuously encouraged, in line with rising domestic energy needs and the challenge of dependence on energy imports. Technically, the Geliga-1 well was drilled to a total depth of about 5,100 metres, with water depth reaching approximately 2,000 metres. In the Miocene target interval, the well encountered a significant gas column with petrophysical characteristics described as having very good quality. The test results will serve as the basis for determining future field development schemes. The complexity of deep-sea drilling, along with the reservoir quality found, are key factors influencing the commercial potential of this discovery. The Geliga-1 discovery forms part of a series of exploration successes in the Kutai Basin.