By Cepi Setiadi
The Indonesian government may consider importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) only in emergency scenarios, according to the Head of the Oil and Gas Lifting Acceleration Task Force at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Nanang Abdul Manaf.
Speaking to Petromindo.com and Bloomberg Technoz at the Ministry’s office on Tuesday (July 1), Nanang stated that the government is currently prioritizing domestic LNG supply to meet national demand, although an import plan remains under consideration.
“For the LNG import plan, that’s up to the Minister. But we are currently working to optimize domestic sources, even though the import option is being discussed,” said Nanang.
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He emphasized that any decision to import LNG would only be taken under emergency circumstances. “Only if it’s an emergency,” he said.
Nanang explained that if imports become necessary, the most feasible option would be through the spot market. “Yes, the spot market is possible. It’s expensive, but it’s the most accessible option in that kind of situation,” he added.
He mentioned Qatar and the United States as the most viable sources for potential spot LNG purchases. “Currently, the countries with high LNG production are Qatar and the U.S.,” he said.
However, Nanang reaffirmed that, at present, there is no urgent need to import LNG, as domestic supply is still sufficient. “It’s just a matter of managing it properly,” he said. “We’re not thinking about imports right now. The focus is on meeting domestic needs,” he stressed.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak
