Economy

Bahlil Orders Fuel Ships Doubled, National Stock at 16–18 Days

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 18, 2026•4 min read

Energy Minister Bahlil ordered Pertamina to double fuel transport ships to resolve Bali queues, stating national fuel stocks remain secure at 16-18 days.

Key Facts

Menteri ESDM Bahlil Lahadalia memerintahkan PT Pertamina menggandakan armada kapal pengangkut BBM untuk mempercepat distribusi, terutama dari Jawa Timur menuju Bali yang bergantung pada transportasi laut.
Ketahanan stok BBM nasional berada di kisaran 16-18 hari kebutuhan nasional berdasarkan laporan Pertamina; angka ini turun dari posisi sebelumnya sekitar 20 hari, namun masih dinilai aman.
Bahlil menyebut persoalan utama bukan stok maupun operasional kilang, melainkan jalur distribusi; antrean BBM di Bali pada Kamis (15/10/2026) mulai terurai meski pemulihan belum tuntas.
Penurunan ketahanan stok terkonsentrasi pada Pertalite (RON 90) akibat pergeseran pola konsumsi masyarakat dari RON 92 dan RON 95 ke BBM bersubsidi; RON 92, 95, dan 98 disebut tidak bermasalah.
Bahlil mengungkap dugaan penimbunan solar subsidi yang ditampung lalu dijual kembali dengan harga industri; pemerintah berkoordinasi dengan Kepolisian untuk penindakan.
Pernyataan disampaikan usai rapat koordinasi dengan CEO BPI Danantara Rosan Roeslani, COO Danantara Dony Oskaria, Kapolri Suyudi Ario Seto, dan Wakil Ketua DPR Sufmi Dasco Ahmad di kantor Kementerian ESDM, Jakarta, Jumat (16/10/2026).

Bahlil: Double Fuel Tankers, National Stock Secure at 16–18 Days

The government has taken emergency measures to restore fuel (BBM - bahan bakar minyak) distribution that has stalled in several regions. Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM - Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral), who also serves as Coordinating Minister for Downstream Industry and Energy Transition, Bahlil Lahadalia, ordered state oil and gas company PT Pertamina (Persero) to immediately increase and double its fleet of fuel carrier vessels.

The instruction focuses on expediting shipments from East Java to Bali, which in recent days has seen long queues at several public fueling stations (SPBU - Stasiun Pengisian Bahan Bakar Umum) due to sea transport bottlenecks. Bahlil delivered the directive following a coordination meeting at the Ministry of ESDM office in Jakarta on Friday (10/16/2026).

"I instructed them earlier to immediately double the ships so that undesirable conditions do not occur in the regions, to accelerate delivery," Bahlil said in the official statement.

Distribution Issue, Not Stock

Bahlil emphasized that national fuel stock resilience currently stands at around 16 to 18 days of national demand based on Pertamina's reports. Although this figure is down from the previous position of around 20 days, the government ensured that reserves still meet minimum energy resilience standards.

"Earlier I also received a report from Pertamina that our national BBM stock is at 16–18 days. So the national fuel stock, God willing, is safe," Bahlil stated at the Ministry of ESDM office, Jakarta, on Friday (10/16/2026).

According to Bahlil, the issues on the ground are purely caused by technical logistical obstacles in inter-island shipments, not fuel availability or refinery operations. "There is no issue with stocks, and no issue with refineries; the problem lies in the distribution routes, which is why we are adding ships," he affirmed. The government is optimistic that national fuel reserves can be increased back to the safe level of 20 days of national consumption within approximately the next week.

Pertalite Under Pressure, Subsidized Solar Hoarded

Bahlil explained that the decline in stock endurance is concentrated in Pertalite, an RON 90 octane fuel. The cause is a shift in public consumption patterns switching from higher octane fuels like RON 92 and RON 95 to subsidized fuel types due to price disparities. "RON 92, RON 95, and RON 98 are not an issue. The shift in stock endurance from 16–18 days occurred with RON 90," Bahlil noted.

Beyond distribution problems, Bahlil revealed suspected hoarding of subsidized solar (diesel fuel), which has worsened lines at several SPBU stations. "Subsidized diesel is being stockpiled and then resold at industrial prices. Meanwhile, the subsidy is funded by the state," Bahlil said. The government reiterated that coordination with the National Police is necessary to take enforcement action against potential violations amid fuel shortage concerns across multiple regions.

The coordination meeting held by Bahlil was also attended by CEO of the Indonesian Investment Management Agency (BPI Danantara - Badan Pengelola Investasi Danantara) Rosan Roeslani, Danantara COO Dony Oskaria, National Police Chief (Kapolri - Kepala Kepolisian Negara Republik Indonesia) Suyudi Ario Seto, and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR RI - Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Republik Indonesia) Sufmi Dasco Ahmad. On Thursday (10/15/2026), Bahlil noted that fuel lines in Bali had started to subside, although recovery is not yet fully complete—indicating that accelerated tanker deployments will determine a full recovery over the coming days.