VOINews, Jakarta: Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia expressed optimism that Indonesia can significantly enhance its oil and gas production capacity through technological interventions.
"The government is responding swiftly to the natural decline in oil and gas lifting by accelerating the adoption of technology," Bahlil said on Saturday in Jakarta.
He emphasized that achieving energy self-sufficiency requires sustainable and optimal efforts to increase the national oil and gas lifting. The minister urged contractors in cooperation contracts (KKKS) to boost production through technological optimization, citing ExxonMobil Cepu Limited (EMCL) as an example of success.
"KKKS with strong oil production capabilities, such as ExxonMobil, contribute significantly. ExxonMobil’s lifting accounts for 25% of the national total. We are asking for technological interventions to further enhance their lifting," he stated.
Bahlil highlighted the transformative impact of technology in ExxonMobil’s Cepu Block. Initially producing 100,000 barrels of oil per day, the implementation of advanced methods has increased output to 163,000 barrels per day.
Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technology, in particular, was cited as a vital tool for stimulating oil production. The Ministry of ESDM, in collaboration with the Upstream Oil and Gas Special Task Force (SKK Migas), is currently exploring incentives to support the broader adoption of EOR technology.
Indonesia faces a pressing challenge of balancing its oil production and consumption. According to Bahlil, the nation’s current lifting stands at 600,000 barrels of oil per day (BOPD), while domestic consumption ranges between 1.5 and 1.6 million BOPD.
To address this imbalance, the ministry has expedited oil and gas exploration through partnerships with KKKS in the form of joint studies. These collaborations aim to uncover untapped reserves across Indonesia.
"We invite KKKS to conduct joint studies to identify new oil and gas reserves," Bahlil explained.
The government is also committed to reducing dependence on oil and gas imports, which have significantly contributed to the nation’s trade deficit. Enhancing domestic oil and gas production is seen as a strategic measure to curb reliance on imports and foster energy self-sufficiency.
"Our strategy focuses on increasing domestic oil and gas production to minimize imports and achieve energy independence," Bahlil concluded.
Through these measures, Indonesia aims to strengthen its energy resilience while leveraging technology to optimize its vast resource potential./ANTARA
