Energy & Mineral Resources

Replacing diminishing reserves and guaranteeing domestic energy security are two of Indonesia’s policy priorities. As such, oil and gas exploration and development are key areas in which the government is eager to progress. To encourage this, policymakers have adopted a series of reforms aimed at ushering in a new wave of foreign investment in the sector. Similarly, in a bid to offset declining oil fields in western Indonesia, the government is working to incentivise contractors to explore deep-sea areas along the eastern frontier. Substantial mineral reserves have put Indonesia on the brink of a new wave of development. Nevertheless, investors still need to contend with a legacy of regulatory uncertainty and a growing trend of resource nationalisation. While policymakers have made efforts to adjust the regulatory regime, exploration hurdles remain in place in the form of divestment rules and a lack of coordination between central and regional governments. This chapter also contains interviews with Ignasius Jonan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Arie Prabowo Ariotedjo, President Director, ANTAM.