Jakarta – The Indonesian government is holding firm to its ambitious goal of boosting domestic oil production to 1 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2030, despite a steady decline in output over recent years, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said on Wednesday.
The target nearly doubles the current production level, which hovers around 580,000 bpd. Still, Bahlil remains optimistic that the goal is achievable.
Between November and December last year, Indonesia's oil production averaged approximately 600,000 bpd.
"The president has instructed us to raise oil production to 1 million bpd by 2030, and we must not surrender before the struggle even begins," Bahlil said during a visit to an oil field jointly operated by state-owned Pertamina and Eni Indonesia in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan.
He also expressed confidence in meeting the short-term production target set in the 2025 State Budget.
"Our current output stands at around 580,000 bpd, while the state budget outlines a target of 605,000 bpd for 2025. We are confident not only in meeting but surpassing that figure," he said.
Earlier this year, Bahlil pointed to the reactivation of idle oil wells as a key strategy to boost production.
"Since 1997, oil production has been in continuous decline, with the exception of a slight increase in 2008," he said during a seminar in Jakarta on January 30. "We have over 40,000 oil wells nationwide, yet only around 16,000 are active."
As part of a broader energy security strategy, the government also plans to redirect a significant portion of crude oil previously earmarked for export to domestic refineries.
Of Indonesia's projected oil exports – roughly 28 million barrels – about 13 million barrels will instead be allocated to local refineries to strengthen domestic fuel supply and reduce dependence on imported fuel.
Indonesia's oil production has been declining steadily in recent years: from 707,000 bpd in 2020, to 660,000 bpd in 2021, then down to 612,000 bpd in 2022, and further to 606,000 bpd in 2023.