Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources refines laboratory testing for Bobibos fuel
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Directorate General of Oil and Gas (Ditjen Migas) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) is refining discussions on laboratory testing with Bobibos fuel producer, PT Inti Sinergi Formula.
“This summons is a follow-up to the initial meeting on 14 April, to mature the laboratory testing plan and ensure product standardisation and classification before it is marketed or widely used,” said Director of Oil and Gas Technical and Environmental Affairs Noor Arifin Muhammad in an official statement received in Jakarta on Saturday.
Noor urged the Bobibos team to promptly conduct the necessary tests to determine the product’s position, whether it falls under the category of BBN (vegetable fuel) or BBM (petroleum fuel).
“In detail, the technical testing will be fully carried out by Lemigas. We ask Bobibos to proactively follow up on these technical steps to ensure the process is accountable,” said Noor.
Separately, Bobibos Founder M Iklas Thamrin stated that the testing process will be comprehensive and staged. For the initial phase, it will be conducted by the Oil and Gas Testing Centre (Lemigas).
Iklas explained that Lemigas’s laboratory tests will determine the fuel’s characteristics before proceeding to advanced testing stages.
“In the initial phase, the testing will cover various important aspects, such as physical and chemical properties, stability, engine compatibility, flowability, ignition quality, and corrosiveness,” said Iklas.
Additionally, the testing will include fuel performance, encompassing exhaust emission tests, engine durability, combustion deposit formation, and engine component assessment.
In the initial process, Lemigas will take Bobibos samples from storage tanks at several points, using certified special containers, accompanied by labelling and inspection minutes.
“From this, it will be determined which fuel category Bobibos falls into, existing or a new type, and then its parameters will be set,” he said.
After passing laboratory and bench tests, the fuel will proceed to road testing. This stage simulates real vehicle usage conditions, including travel and maintenance aspects, while also serving as part of product commercialisation and socialisation testing.
The results of the entire testing series will form the basis for research dissemination, product downstreaming, and technical recommendations to the government in determining energy policies.
In the previous meeting on 14 April 2026, Ditjen Migas welcomed Bobibos’s innovation amid global energy crisis pressures.
The initial testing phase by Lemigas begins with sample collection according to international ASTM D4057 standards from storage tanks.
PT Inti Sinergi Formula, on that occasion, expressed its readiness to coordinate with Lemigas regarding the requirements needed for the entire testing series in accordance with regulations. Previously, Bobibos had conducted internal identification, but it was found that the product’s specifications did not yet meet several standard parameters for BBN or BBM.
The government, in principle, welcomes every innovation from the nation’s children related to fuel discoveries that can help strengthen national energy resilience amid uncertain global conditions. However, there are procedures that must be fulfilled to provide safety assurances to the public as consumers.
The series of tests must be conducted under supervision and in accordance with standard procedures. This is to protect the public from risks of engine damage and to provide legal certainty as a basis for product complaints if it does not meet the promised standards.
Bobibos is an environmentally friendly Indonesian-made fuel based on agricultural waste such as rice straw. Bobibos, short for Bahan Bakar Original Buatan Indonesia, Bos! (Original Fuel Made in Indonesia, Mate!), is claimed to have a high octane value or RON 98.