Jakarta. Indonesia has received its first shipment of Russian oil as part of a commitment to import up to 150 million barrels from Russia, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia confirmed on Tuesday.

Unlike previous crude oil imports, the initial shipment was handled by the government's Research and Development Center for Oil and Gas Technology (Lemigas) rather than state-owned energy company Pertamina.

"We have completed the first phase of imports, carried out by the Indonesian government through Lemigas," Bahlil told reporters in Jakarta.

He said Indonesia's priority is to secure sufficient oil supplies and maintain domestic fuel reserves, adding that the government would continue importing oil from any source as long as the transactions comply with applicable laws and regulations.

"Our national sovereignty should not be dictated by other countries. We need oil," Bahlil said, referring to Western sanctions and restrictions aimed at curbing Russian oil exports following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Bahlil said assigning Lemigas to import crude oil was intended to streamline the procurement process and facilitate government-to-government transactions between Indonesia and Russia.

The move follows President Prabowo Subianto's issuance of a new regulation authorizing Lemigas to import oil under cooperation agreements between governments or between the Indonesian government and overseas private suppliers.

Under Presidential Regulation No. 26 of 2026, public service agencies such as Lemigas, as well as Pertamina, are allowed to procure energy supplies during urgent situations, even when prices differ because of purchase volumes, product specifications, country of origin, or delivery schedules, provided the terms are stipulated in the procurement contract.

Pertamina had previously expressed reluctance to import Russian oil directly, citing concerns that doing so could affect the performance and investor perception of its outstanding global bonds.

Bahlil did not disclose the volume or purchase price of the first shipment.

Local media have reported that nearly 770,000 barrels of crude oil valued at about $75 million arrived at Balikpapan Port in East Kalimantan on June 29. The cargo was shipped from Kozmino Port in Russia aboard the tanker Sierra.

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