Minister outlines three steps to achieve energy self-sufficiency

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia highlighted three steps, one of which is well exploration, in order to realize energy self-sufficiency in Indonesia.

"We should increase our oil lifting with three approaches. The first is we must immediately carry out exploration for (tapping) the potential of new oil wells," he remarked at the opening of the Leaders Forum: the Future of Indonesia's Energy in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Lahadalia noted that the second step to achieving energy self-sufficiency is optimizing the existing oil wells.

Currently, the total percentage of lifting wells operated by state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina reaches only 65 percent. He affirmed that this figure can continue to be increased with the application of technology or through other approaches.

"There should be a technological intervention for us to increase lifting through EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery) technology and others," he remarked.

Furthermore, the third step is identifying the potential of ideal wells that are still productive.

He noted that currently, Indonesia is pushing for an increase in the use of renewable energy.

"We currently have known B35, B40 (biofuel), and going forward, we will push it to become B50. This is one of the programs of (President-elect) Mr. Prabowo," he remarked.

Earlier, he explained that Indonesia had experienced an oil production surplus, with a production of 1.6 million barrels per day, while the consumption was only 700 thousand barrels per day.

Meanwhile, currently, Indonesia's oil lifting only reaches 600 thousand barrels per day, with a consumption of 1.6 million barrels per day.

Hence, Indonesia is facing a big challenge to be able to realize energy self-sufficiency in the future.

"I think this is the biggest challenge that Indonesia must face going forward," he remarked.​​​​​​​