TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesia and Japan have agreed to speed up development of the Abadi gas field in the Masela Block, Maluku, as geopolitical tensions rise amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, according to the head of Indonesia’s upstream oil and gas regulator SKK Migas.
“Yes, all parties have agreed to accelerate it,” SKK Migas chief Djoko Siswanto, widely known as Djoksis, told Antara on Monday, June 30.
Djoko said discussions on the progress of the Masela Block development have been proceeding well and continue to show steady advancement.
“The discussions are progressing well,” he said.
Djoko accompanied Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia during President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Japan, which aimed to strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries.
Energy was among the key topics discussed during the trip, according to Energy Ministry spokesperson Dwi Anggia. She said energy cooperation with Japan has strong potential to bolster Indonesia’s energy security.
In that context, Dwi said the energy minister’s role is to ensure that every opportunity for cooperation in the energy sector can be translated into concrete agreements.
Earlier, on Sunday, March 15, Bahlil met with Inpex Corporation CEO Takayuki Ueda, in what officials described as an important step toward accelerating the Masela Block project, which carries an investment commitment of around US$20 billion.
The Masela Block project is seen as a major new economic driver for eastern Indonesia and a future source of significant gas supplies for domestic industries.
Indonesian Ambassador to Japan and the Federated States of Micronesia, Nurmala Kartini Sjahrir, said the agreement to move forward with the Abadi field in the Masela Block marks a milestone for Indonesia’s national energy resilience.
The Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo will continue facilitating the project to ensure the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) stage begins on schedule in the third quarter of 2026, with production targeted to start in 2029 or 2030.
Meanwhile, Bahlil welcomed the project’s progress, saying development has reached around 25 percent.
He reiterated his intention for the Abadi Masela project to enter the FEED phase in the second quarter of 2026, or no later than the third quarter, so that the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) tender process can begin in parallel.
Read: Indef Urges Prabowo to Maximize Japan Visit for Trade Gains
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