Indian SOEs Want to Enter Indonesian Oil and Gas, Bahlil Says They Will Partner with Pertamina
JAKARTA - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources or ESDM Bahlil Lahadalia said India is interested in entering the Indonesian oil and gas sector. This interest is one of the parts of energy cooperation discussed after President Prabowo Subianto's meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Bahlil said that cooperation with India was not only about coal. India also wanted to expand cooperation to the oil and gas sector.
"If we work together with India, there are several extensions that they want to enter in oil and gas," said Bahlil at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Tuesday, July 7.
When asked which Indian party would enter the oil and gas sector, Bahlil said the plan involved state-owned enterprises in India. They will work together with PT Pertamina.
"BUMN mereka. Mereka partner sama Pertamina," ujar Bahlil.
Bahlil has not detailed the form of the oil and gas project that will be worked on together. He only said that the cooperation still needed to be seen further.
Apart from oil and gas, India has been one of the countries of destination for Indonesian coal exports. According to Bahlil, communication regarding coal supplies has been carried out before the arrival of PM Modi to Indonesia.
"We know that one of the countries that we export coal to is India. And we have been doing this since two to three days ago before the arrival of the Prime Minister," he said.
Bahlil opened the opportunity for coal exports to India to increase. However, he emphasized that the volume would depend on India's needs.
"It depends on their needs. But in principle we give priority because as a friendly country," said Bahlil.
He said that the relationship between Indonesia and India does not only stand on current trade interests. According to Bahlil, the two countries have a long relationship, including cultural exchanges and assimilation since before Indonesia's independence.
"The relationship between Indonesia and India is not only in the context since we became independent. Before that, there was already an exchange of culture and assimilation," he said.
Bahlil said that energy cooperation was part of a bilateral relationship that had been going well. The government wants the relationship to be improved and strengthened through new commitments.
"The principle is cooperation, bilateral relations that we have improved and we are committed to," said Bahlil.
For now, Bahlil has not opened the details of the oil and gas projects that will be worked on together with Pertamina. In coal, the government has also not talked about additional export figures. Everything is still following the needs of India.