Masela Gas Block Development Begins, Prabowo: Must Be Completed as Quickly as Possible

President Prabowo Subianto expressed gratitude that construction of the Abadi Masela liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the Tanimbar Islands, Maluku, has officially begun after being stalled for 28 years. Prabowo considers the project vital for achieving national energy security and has urged that it be completed as quickly as possible.

The strategic national project, which has been awaited for nearly three decades, was inaugurated with a firm directive from the President. The giant oil and gas project is located approximately 170 to 180 kilometres southwest of the Tanimbar Islands Regency. It is being developed under a Cost Recovery PSC scheme by INPEX Masela Ltd as the operator with a majority 65 per cent stake, in strategic partnership with PT Pertamina holding 20 per cent and Petronas holding 15 per cent. The total investment value of the project stands at USD 20.9 billion.

The project is designed to produce 9.5 million tonnes per annum of LNG, channel 150 million standard cubic feet per day of domestic pipeline gas, and generate approximately 35,000 barrels of condensate per day to support national energy needs. After a development process spanning almost three decades since the contract was signed in 1998, the project has finally entered the construction phase. As of early July 2026, front-end engineering design progress had reached 79.56 per cent, exceeding the planned target, while various strategic permits and the completion of main facility designs are proceeding on schedule towards a final investment decision at the end of 2026.