Minister Bahlil Reveals Reason Behind Indonesia's Fuel Stock of Only 23 Days

JAKARTA — The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, has explained the issue regarding domestic fuel supplies, which amount to only around 23 days.

He clarified that the storage tank capacity within the country is indeed limited to a maximum of 25 days. With this capacity, the current fuel supply available reaches 23 days.

“Given the constraints of our fuel storage tank capacity, which does not exceed 25 days, the current stock capacity amounts to 23 days,” he stated in a YouTube broadcast from the Energy Ministry on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.

However, this does not mean that fuel stocks will run out after 23 days. This figure merely reflects the storage capacity held in storage tanks at any given time.

“But this does not mean 23 days and it runs out. That is not what it means. That is the storage capacity,” he emphasised.

Bahlil provided a simple analogy to clarify how fuel supply works. He compared fuel stock to a water tank that automatically refills when volume decreases.

“If 3 days worth of fuel leaves stock, then production from our refineries also comes out to fill the existing stock. It goes in again, fills again, like the water tank in our house, that is how it works. The water tank in our house, you use it for bathing, when it runs out, the pump automatically starts again,” he explained.

Therefore, the public was asked not to worry about fuel availability and not to purchase excessively.

“I ask my fellow citizens, there is no need for panic buying. God willing, our fuel and liquefied petroleum gas are secure, the state will be present,” he said.

Besides being supplied from domestic refinery production, fuel availability is also strengthened through imports from various countries, not solely dependent on supply from the Middle East region.

These supplies come from neighbouring countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore, so the situation is secure and not directly linked to conditions in the Strait of Hormuz.

As a long-term strategy, the government will increase storage capacity. The plan includes building new storage infrastructure capable of holding fuel stock for at least three months or 90 days, in accordance with national standards.

“Given that our storage is only 21 days, 25 days, under the orders of President Prabowo, we must build storage capacity of at least three months minimum. That is the national standard,” Bahlil said.