October 1, 2025 | 06:42 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Director of Shell Indonesia, Ingrid Siburian, explained why the company has yet to purchase crude oil or base fuel supplies from Pertamina, despite ongoing shortages at its stations. She said the plan remains under business-to-business (B2B) negotiations.
“The B2B discussion is still ongoing,” Ingrid told lawmakers during a hearing with the House of Representatives’ Commission XII on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
According to Ingrid, nearly all Shell gas stations in Java have run out of gasoline since August. Of about 200 stations in operation, only five still had stock left as of this week.
“Almost all of our gas stations are facing stockouts. The little supply remaining may be gone by tomorrow night,” she said.
The shortage occurred after Shell exhausted its 2025 fuel import quota. Anticipating higher demand, the company applied for additional quota in June.
However, the government capped imports at just 10 percent above the 2024 sales volume, as stated in a July 17 letter from the Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources.
“To follow up, we held several coordination meetings, including a direct discussion with the Energy Minister on September 19. It was decided that Pertamina Patra Niaga would supply us with base fuel, rather than finished products,” Ingrid said.
She stressed that Shell remains committed to serving consumers in Indonesia, not only by expanding its retail network but also by investing in infrastructure. Among these is the fuel storage terminal in Gresik, East Java, which is already operational.
“As a licensed general fuel trader, we are always committed to meeting our obligations. Our investments cover not just gas stations, but also supporting facilities such as storage terminals,” she added.
Earlier, Pertamina agreed to import base fuel to be distributed to private gas stations, after discussions with the Energy Ministry and private operators.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia announced the agreement on September 19, explaining that Pertamina could step in because it still held 34 percent of its 2025 import quota—equivalent to 7.52 million kiloliters. This was deemed sufficient to allocate an additional 571,748 kiloliters for private gas stations until December.
Bahlil emphasized that the government had already increased private import quotas by 10 percent compared to 2024, rejecting claims of restrictions.
Under the new arrangement, Pertamina will supply raw base fuel, which must then be blended by each private station.
“This fuel is not yet mixed. The blending will be carried out in the stations’ tanks. This is the solution we agreed upon,” Bahlil explained.
He outlined four key points from the agreement:
Private gas stations must source supplies from Pertamina in the form of base fuel.
A joint quality inspection will be conducted by a mutually agreed surveyor before delivery.
The pricing mechanism must be transparent and fair, with both Pertamina and private firms opening their books.
The agreement takes effect immediately and will be followed by technical meetings to ensure supply begins flowing within seven days.
Bahlil also reassured the public that Pertamina’s overall reserves remain secure. “Fuel reserves are sufficient for 18 to 21 days. There is no problem. The only issue is that private stations are running low,” he said.
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