Shifting Away from Middle East Oil, Indonesia Begins Gradual Imports from the US

Jakarta – CNBC Indonesia: Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia confirmed that Indonesia has begun importing crude oil from the United States to cover imports that have been disrupted from the Middle East passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Hormuz Strait is a crucial artery for global oil, handling up to 20.1 million barrels per day. Indonesia itself imports around 19% of its national oil via Hormuz. Two Pertamina (Persero) oil cargo ships remain stuck in the narrow waters of the Persian Gulf. As a replacement, Bahlil explained that Indonesia has started to import from the United States gradually, as storage capacity is currently insufficient. “Gradually, we cannot come all at once because our storage capacity isn’t enough. So the issue now is storage; that’s why we want to build storage now,” Bahlil said at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources office on Thursday (5 March 2026). He explained that President Prabowo Subianto has also instructed Indonesia to rapidly build fuel storage tanks to strengthen resilience against similar situations. “If we talk about survival, we must truly address the core problem and resolve it quickly. Otherwise we remain dependent,” he urged. Bahlil also spoke about the two Pertamina tankers still in the Strait of Hormuz, saying they are anchored to seek a safer location given the geopolitical tensions involving Iran and the United States. “While we negotiate, we communicate better to find a solution,” he said. While awaiting the departure of the cargo ships, the government is seeking alternatives to replace oil imports that pass through Hormuz, including sourcing oil from the United States. “We are seeking alternatives in America to cover what is in those two cargoes,” Bahlil concluded.