Antara, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has not been able to make public the results of a study on illegal mining suspected to be the cause of flash floods and landslides in Sumatra.
"We have conducted the study. We have conducted the study. But we are not able to disclose the product yet," said the Director General of Law Enforcement of Energy and Mineral Resources, Rilke Jeffri Huwae, when met after the opening of the National Post in the Energy and Mineral Resources Sector at the Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (BPH Migas) Building, Jakarta, on Monday, December 15, 2025, as quoted by Antara.
Jeffri stated that the results of the study cannot be published for public discussion. The government wants the public to focus on the humanitarian mission in flood-affected areas, such as Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
However, Jeffri briefly mentioned the existence of the Martabe gold mine which has been widely discussed following the flash floods. "We can see for ourselves the river basin, how Martabe is, the distance, and so on. We have conducted the study," he said.
When asked for further explanation, Jeffri asserted that the government has evaluated the mining rules of Martabe, but cannot disclose the results at this time.
"We have evaluated the mining rules, but it will not be a topic of discussion in the current condition where humanitarian issues have not been resolved there," said Jeffri.
Previously, the Ministry of ESDM deployed a team to reevaluate mining business permits (IUP) in Aceh Province and North Sumatra Province after the flash floods and landslides in Sumatra last week.
Minister of ESDM Bahlil Lahadalia, when met with reporters at the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Indonesia, Jakarta, on December 4, 2025, emphasized that the government will not hesitate to revoke IUPs of mining companies if they are found to violate the regulations.
In the same occasion, Bahlil explained that the checks and evaluations are still ongoing for the Aceh and North Sumatra regions, while for the West Sumatra region, Bahlil confirmed that the flash floods in the province were not caused by mining.
In line with the checks, Bahlil also mentioned that the Martabe gold mine in South Tapanuli, North Sumatra, is also not operational after the disaster.
Previously, PT Agincourt Resources (PTAR) considered the narrative linking the operational activities of the Martabe gold mine to the flash floods in South Tapanuli as a premature and inaccurate conclusion. The company presented an analysis of the flash floods and landslides in the Batang Toru District, South Tapanuli.
Agincourt Resources highlighted Cyclone Senyar, which caused high rainfall in the South Tapanuli region. The company claimed that the flash floods were caused by the inability of the Garoga River to accommodate the flow of the flood mass.
"This was triggered by the massive blockage of wood materials at Garoga I Bridge and Anggoli Bridge (Garoga II)," the PTAR management wrote in an official statement on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.
– Anastasya Lavenia Yudi contributed to the writing of this article.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2073755/indonesia-keeps-mining-study-on-sumatra-floods-under-wrap