Pertamina Studies Compatibility of Russian Oil with Indonesian Refineries

PT Pertamina (Persero) has responded to Indonesia’s plans to purchase crude oil from Russia. Pertamina’s Vice President for Corporate Communication, Muhammad Baron, stated that the company will further study the compatibility of the specifications of Russian crude oil for processing in the state-owned oil and gas company’s refineries.

“We will study the type of crude (crude oil) in question. With refinery modernisation, it is hoped that Pertamina’s refineries will have the flexibility to process various types of crude in the future,” Baron said on Tuesday, 14 April 2026, as quoted from Antara.

In any case, according to Baron, Pertamina will follow up in accordance with the directions and regulations set by the government regarding Indonesia’s plans to purchase oil from Russia.

“Currently, the negotiations are still at the government level. As a state-owned enterprise managing national energy, Pertamina will follow up in accordance with the directions and regulations established,” Baron stated.

Fundamentally, he said, Pertamina is open to various cooperation opportunities to ensure the resilience and sustainability of national energy supplies.

In responding to such cooperation opportunities, Pertamina also prioritises principles of prudence, compliance, as well as commercial and operational aspects.

The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Bahlil Lahadalia, previously conveyed that the meeting between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed concrete energy cooperation oriented towards national interests.

Based on his official statement today, the cooperation includes the development of oil refineries, strengthening oil trade, and increasing the utilisation of energy technology.

“In the long term, Indonesia is also open to collaboration opportunities in the clean energy sector. As an effort directed towards supporting energy diversification,” Bahlil said.

Global energy market volatility, which is still under pressure, has impacted the stability of energy supplies in many countries, including Indonesia. To maintain national energy supply resilience, the government continues to seek strategic measures. One of them is through negotiations for cooperation with Russia as one of the world’s energy-producing countries.