Pertamina: Energy Imports from the US are Still Needed to Meet Needs

JAKARTA - President Director of PT Pertamina (Persero) Simon Aloysius Mantiri emphasized that energy imports from the United States (US) are still needed to cover national energy needs, amid a natural decline in domestic production.

"This import scheme is our bridge to energy independence... To meet this gap, we still need imports," Simon said at a virtual press conference from Washington D.C., Friday, February 20, reported by ANTARA.

Simon explained that Pertamina together with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), SKK Migas, and all contractors of the cooperation work contract (K3S) continue to strive to increase the production of oil and gas lifting.

However, he emphasized that the condition of natural production decline makes imports remain a strategic option.

Simon said that since July 2025, Pertamina has signed a number of memorandums of understanding (MoU) with prospective partners from the US, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, KDT Global Resources, and Hartree.

"We are also still open to candidates from the United States," said Simon.

He added that Pertamina had recently also signed a memorandum of understanding with Halliburton for joint oil field recovery work.

According to Simon, this cooperation is not only focused on increasing production, but also includes technology transfer, human resource capacity improvement, and the application of best global practices in the oil and gas industry.

Simon added that diversifying energy sources is the key to national energy resilience.

"In addition to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, we see great opportunities from the United States," he said.

The Indonesian government and the US on Thursday (19/2) officially signed points of agreement for a reciprocal tariff agreement, one of which contains certainty of the purchase of energy commodities from the US worth a total of 15 billion US dollars or around Rp253.3 trillion.

The value includes the purchase of LPG of 3.5 billion US dollars (Rp59.1 trillion), crude oil of 4.5 billion US dollars (Rp76.0 trillion), and refinery gasoline of 7 billion US dollars (Rp118.2 trillion).

On the same occasion, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia conveyed that a trade agreement worth 15 billion US dollars with the United States does not mean increasing the volume of Indonesian energy imports, but reallocating import quotas from other countries.

He emphasized that this step was carried out by shifting a portion of the import quota that previously came from a number of other countries, including Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

"Overall, the balance of commodities for the purchase of fuel from abroad remains the same, only shifting," said Bahlil.