Call The Lowering Of Oil Lifting Due To Intention, Bahlil: By Design

JAKARTA - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia revealed that the decline in oil lifting that occurred in Indonesia was due to intentional and planned elements. According to him, this is intended so that Indonesia continues to import from other countries which will benefit from this decrease in lifting.

In fact, he said, in 1996 to 1997 Indonesia's lifting rate reached 1.5 million barrels per day with a consumption figure of only 500,000 bopd. In fact, he said, Indonesia was able to export 1 million barrels of oil.

"In 1996-1997, our oil lifting reached 1.5-1.6 million bopd and our consumption was only around 500,000 bopd. We exported 1 million bopd at that time. Our country is great ..," he said, Monday, May 26.

Indonesia's oil and gas heyday then began to decline after the 1998 monetary crisis that changed regulatory fundamentals including regulations in the oil and gas sector. After that, Bahlil said that Indonesia's lifting only reached 580,000 bopds in 2024, which reached 1.6 million bopd.

The chairman of the Golkar Party then accused him of closing the element of intent so that Indonesia would continue to import oil from the countries producing oil.

"I honestly say, by Allah, in my opinion, this is an element of intent by design. And to secure the president's order and for motherland, even if I don't step down to deal with people like this. Even a little," said Bahlil.

Furthermore, Bahlil said that actually Indonesia has 40,000 oil wells with 20,000 productive wells, while the rest are unemployed or idle wells.

According to him, the regulatory changes that occurred in the Mmigas Indonesia sector also changed the contract system at Pertamina, which used to be active in Operational Cooperation (KSO) with other KKKS, then began to reduce cooperation and work on arterial oil and gas wells.

"The change in regulations, the KSO is starting to be reduced, he is working on it himself. For this sovereignty it is good but if the weakening is done from our internals whether the officials, the BUMN elements, are here, the beginning of the destruction of our country," said Bahlil.

For this reason, he emphasized that Indonesia must not be careless about all forms of seduction and intervention from irresponsible parties in order to weaken the country's sovereignty.

"I say, for mothers and mothers, we must not be careless and should not be caught in the slightest by irresponsible parties to weaken the energy sovereignty of our nation," said Bahlil.