KESDM: No Mining Activities on the Slope of Mount Slamet

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has confirmed that the land opening seen on the southwest slope of Mount Slamet, Cilongok District, Banyumas Regency, currently has no mining activities.

Director General of Law Enforcement (Gakkum) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Jeffri Huwae, revealed that based on the results of the field review on December 13, he found that the land was no longer used, and now it has started to grow grass and other plants that have started to grow.

"We also did not find any signs of potential landslides on the 3 km long land opening," Jeffri said in a statement to the media, Monday, December 22.

He added that the current condition shows that the recovery process of the environment has taken place. Based on the Sentinel-2 satellite image dated May 30, 2025, the area that was previously open began to be covered by vegetation.

"The field review by the Directorate General of Gakkum ESDM on December 13, 2025 also confirmed that the land was no longer used and had been overgrown with grass and other plants that grew naturally, without finding any indication of potential landslides," he said.

The land opening which had become a public concern was known to be a long-term activity carried out in the 2017-2018 period by PT Sejahtera Alam Energi (PT SAE), when the company was still in the status of holder of the Geothermal Operating Permit in the Baturraden area and its surroundings.

The initial findings came from observations of Google Maps images showing open land along approximately three kilometers at an altitude of between 1,300 to 2,000 meters above sea level. This condition triggered public concerns and allegations of illegal activities in the forest area of the slopes of Mount Slamet.

Following up on this information, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources through the Directorate General of Law Enforcement (Ditjen Gakkum ESDM) conducted a search for Google Earth satellite images based on historical imagery, and matched it with internal data from the Directorate General of New and Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (Ditjen EBTKE).

"The results of the investigation ensure that land clearing is carried out to support geothermal exploration activities, including the construction of rig access roads, drilling water storage ponds, and three exploration wells," explained Jeffri.

The construction of the infrastructure itself is carried out by paying attention to the principles of engineering, through the regular arrangement of roads, the implementation of a terasering system, and the use of retaining walls to minimize the risk of landslides, with a road width of around 10 meters.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources through the Directorate General of EBTKE continues to monitor the reclamation and closure of exploration wells that are no longer active, and ensures that environmental recovery is carried out in accordance with regulations.

"Continuous monitoring and supervision are also being carried out for geothermal activities in the area," said Jeffri.