Abadi Masela LNG Investment Almost Rp21 Billion US Dollars, Production Targeted to Exceed 9 Million Tons

JAKARTA - The Abadi Masela LNG project has an investment of 20.9 billion US dollars or almost 21 billion US dollars. The gas project in the Tanimbar Islands, Maluku, is targeted to produce more than 9 million tons of LNG, condensate, and other products.

President Prabowo Subianto said the project would be one of the pillars of Indonesia's development and energy needs.

"This project has a very large investment, 20.9 billion US dollars, almost 21 billion US dollars. It will produce more than 9 million tons of LNG, condensate, and so on," said Prabowo when participating in the groundbreaking online from Jakarta, Thursday, July 16.

According to Prabowo, the energy supply from Masela is needed to run the downstream and accelerate industrialization.

"We have to do downstream processing. And this downstream processing requires energy," he said.

He said Indonesia wants to develop into an industrial country that is able to produce more value-added products. However, this goal requires large energy, infrastructure, and financing.

Prabowo said that revenue from natural resource projects must be used to strengthen public services. These include health services, education, teacher salaries and state apparatus, as well as infrastructure development.

"We need money to build the best health services. We need money to pay teachers' salaries so that our schools are not inferior to schools abroad," he said.

The Abadi Masela LNG project involves INPEX, Petronas, and Pertamina. Prabowo asked that this cooperation immediately produce energy supply and economic benefits.

He also said the government had prepared steps to face the energy transition in the next two to three years.

Prabowo assessed that Masela would strengthen national energy independence and encourage the growth of the eastern Indonesian region.