Pertamina Hulu Rokan Outlines ESG-Focused Strategy to Boost Oil and Gas Production

The Chief Executive of Pertamina Hulu Rokan (PHR), Muhamad Arifin, has revealed a number of strategies to drive national oil and gas production, particularly in safeguarding energy security. According to Arifin, PHR is focused on maintaining and managing its production baseline so that it does not erode, as has occurred at several other oil and gas fields.

“Our strategy is aggressive, massive and growing. Therefore, we maintain reliability of our assets, whilst at the same time we must grow so that production increases every year,” Arifin explained during the CNBC Indonesia Economic Update, quoted on Friday (17/07/2026).

He emphasised that PHR’s grand mission is to support the government’s aim of achieving energy self-sufficiency. To reach that goal, he said PHR intends to be one of the main players, with targets already drawn up so that production figures can be achieved.

PHR is also exploring the potential of Unconventional Oil and Gas (Migas Non-Konvensional, MNK) in the Rokan Working Area through the Gulamo and Kelok wells. This strategy aligns with PHR’s efforts to maintain oil and gas production against the ‘natural decline’ of mature oil wells. PHR is also developing a domestically produced Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (CEOR) technique aimed at maximising oil production by up to 20%.

“We have entered an advanced level, we use CEOR, and what is very encouraging is that the chemicals used are originally from Rokan and have been patented. By using CEOR, the amount of oil that can be lifted increases by up to 20%,” Arifin said.

PHR has also carried out injection at the Minas field in Area A since 2025, which is expected to increase production by 2,800 BOPD by the end of 2026. Area B is also being continuously developed, and by 2028-2029 this area is expected to reach 70,000 BOPD.

“This is a very significant opportunity for us in Rokan, and it contributes to the oil and gas world,” Arifin hoped.

Since 2021, PHR has continuously transformed the use of technology in its oil and gas operations through the Digital Innovation Center (DAS), which is capable of monitoring oil and gas activities carried out by 44,000 workers across 17 regencies in Riau.

PHR has also affirmed its commitment to supporting the energy transition and energy self-sufficiency through an aggressive, massive and growing strategy. One of the steps taken includes implementing ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) aspects by reducing CO2 carbon emissions.