Pertamina Detects 11 Billion Barrels of Unconventional Oil, Here Are the Locations
The Jakarta-based CNBC Indonesia reports that PT Pertamina (Persero) has identified a jumbo crude oil potential from non-conventional resources (MNK), or ‘unconventional oil’, in the domestic oil and gas sector. The oil-in-place potential from these resources is estimated at 11 billion barrels.
Deputy President Director Oki Muraza said the company is working to build a supporting ecosystem so that this large potential can be produced on a mass scale soon. He noted that developing non-conventional oil business requires cross-sector collaboration and attractive fiscal policies from the government to attract investors.
“Good news is that recently we have 11 billion barrels of oil in place for non-conventional resources,” he said at The 50th IPA Convention & Exhibition (Convex) at ICE BSD, Tangerang Regency, quoted on Thursday 21 May 2026.
Pertamina sees the need for collaboration with various global oilfield service companies to adopt technologies successfully applied in other regions, such as the Permian Basin in the United States. This step is considered crucial to accelerate the extraction process for oil with technical characteristics different from conventional oil.
“Our homework now is essentially how we can advocate to our government to have a fiscal policy, and we are trying to invite many service-company partners to create an ecosystem,” he added.
Separately, the company remains focused on managing mature fields through advanced technology interventions to maintain national production stability. One main target location is the Minas Field, which is reported to still hold significant potential reserves under enhanced oil recovery schemes.
“We still have around 4 billion barrels in one field at Minas; this is another homework we are pursuing,” he asserted.
Earlier, Pertamina Hulu Rokan (PHR) identified MNK potential of 11.3 billion barrels in place in the North Aman sub-basin, Rokan Block. PHR’s Chief Executive Muhamad Arifin explained that MNK development is a strategy to offset declines in production at conventional fields. He noted the huge potential in the North Aman structure as an opportunity not previously exploited in Indonesia.
“With aging-field production continuing to decline, developing non-conventional oil is no longer an option but a strategic necessity. MNK has the potential to be a game changer in strengthening Pertamina’s future energy portfolio while safeguarding national energy security,” he said at OTC Asia 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in a written statement, quoted on Thursday 9 April 2026.
Specifically, the jumbo potential lies in the Gulamo and Kelok areas within the Rokan working area, Riau. The company has demonstrated hydrocarbons through exploratory-well drilling and flowback tests as milestones for MNK development in Indonesia.
Moreover, PHR is currently continuing plans for horizontal drilling and multi-stage fracturing through appraisal. The North Aman structure forms a crucial foundation for unlocking MNK potential in other sub-basins in the Rokan Block, such as South Aman, Rangau, and Balam.
“The biggest MNK challenge lies in above-ground aspects, from high upfront investment costs, to regulatory and fiscal policy competitiveness, to infrastructure readiness and capacity and experience. Therefore, cross-stakeholder collaboration is required,” he said.