Russian Crude Is Said to Be Nearly Safe, But Volumes and Investment Still Closed
JAKARTA - The government says the supply of crude or crude oil from Russia is almost final. However, until now, the volume of purchases and the value of investments accompanying the cooperation have not been made public.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia admitted that Indonesia-Russia energy cooperation was moving forward, but it was not completely transparent. He emphasized that the agreement for crude oil supplies was nearing its end.
"If the crude is, I think it's almost final," Bahlil told reporters at the Presidential Palace complex, Jakarta, Thursday, April 16.
Even so, when asked about the volume, he chose to close the meeting. "I can't talk about the volume because we have an agreement, we can't talk about the volume," he said.
Bahlil only gave an overview of national needs. According to him, Indonesia needs around 300 million barrels of crude oil per year. Of that amount, the government will seek supply sources from anywhere.
"We will take everything, what is beneficial for our country, we must do," he said.
For LPG, the position of discussion is still not strong. Indonesia still imports around 7 million tons per year and is now trying to find alternative supplies. "This still needs a struggle, still needs two or three stages of communication," said Bahlil.
Meanwhile, the investment plan for refineries and storage from Russia has also not been completed. He said there was investment interest, but the details of the numbers and locations had not been decided.
"There are several investments that are ready to enter, but the finalization is waiting for one or two more rounds," said Bahlil.
He also signaled that the refinery project discussed was not as big as the Tuban project. However, again, the details have not been opened.
Even though the information is limited, the energy policy will remain flexible. "The Indonesian government always prioritizes a free active policy ... we can spend anywhere," said Bahlil.