Shell Has Resumed Diesel Sales: Here’s the Source

Jakarta — CNBC Indonesia. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) is facilitating a cooperation for the purchase of fuel oil (BBM), specifically the diesel type, between PT Pertamina (Persero) and private fuel distributors, including Shell Indonesia. The move is intended to meet domestic diesel supply by relying on domestic production.

Director General of Oil and Gas (Dirjen Migas) at the Ministry of ESDM, Laode Sulaeman, said that the diesel that had been briefly available at Shell stations came from Pertamina’s supply. The government has also provided guidance to encourage other private petrol stations to shift their procurement sources from imports to domestically absorbed supplies.

“That is a cooperation with Pertamina that we had previously conceived, we facilitated, and thankfully now there is cooperation with Pertamina so they can start again,” he said at the Ministry of ESDM office, Jakarta, Monday (18 May 2026).

Laode confirmed that the procurement uses products refined at Pertamina’s refineries in Indonesia. In addition to Shell, the government is also urging other private petrol stations such as BP-AKR and Vivo Energy Indonesia to adopt a similar scheme.

“Yes, we are, so far, still in the process to ensure Shell and Pertamina can operate. Oh that belongs to Pertamina, right. (Production) yes (domestic),” he said.

Although the current focus of the cooperation is on diesel, he left open the possibility of applying the same policy to petrol. However, the plan to shift petrol supply is still under study, taking into account Pertamina’s production capacity to serve private needs.

“From the start it was like that, but now we are discussing what volume will be allocated. Yes, it will be phased one by one. So there are steps,” he concluded.