Cuts Take Effect Starting Today
Indonesia officially cut natural gas exports to Singapore starting today, Saturday, October 24, 2026. The decision was made by the Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas) with a total reduction volume of 31 BBTUD (billion British thermal units per day).
On the sidelines of the 2026 Subroto Energy Award Gala Night hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources at The Westin, Jakarta, on Friday night, October 23, 2026, SKK Migas Head Djoko Siswanto announced the cut, effective starting this Saturday. "This reduction is specifically intended for the pipeline route connected directly there, and there is no similar adjustment for exports to other countries," Djoko emphasized.
Details: Natuna 15 BBTUD, Sumatra 16 BBTUD
Supply reductions were carried out from two main distribution points through pipeline networks. From the Natuna region, the gas allocation sent to Singapore was cut by 15 BBTUD, while from the Sumatra region — specifically the Jambi Merang Working Area — it was reduced by 16 BBTUD.
Djoko emphasized that the cut targets only Singapore. "There is none (cuts to other countries), the pipeline only goes to Singapore," he said in response to a question about the possibility of adjustments to other partner countries.
So far, Singapore has imported Indonesian natural gas through an undersea pipeline network sourced from offshore gas fields in South Sumatra, Natuna, and the Riau Islands.
Bahlil Overhauls Gas Export Allocation
This step by SKK Migas runs parallel to the plan of Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia — who also serves as Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition — to recalculate the national gas export share.
Bahlil stated he will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the national gas supply allocation because gas is a crucial raw material, especially for the development of the downstreaming industry and the petrochemical sector domestically, he said at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Office in Jakarta.
Bahlil said that currently around 30 percent of national gas production is still exported, while 70 percent is allocated for domestic needs, including as a raw material for downstreaming.
This policy aligns with the directive of President Prabowo Subianto, who emphasized the importance of national resilience and self-reliance in managing state resources amid a volatile global geopolitical situation.
Three Days from Discourse to Execution
The speed of this policy's execution is unusual. The idea of restructuring gas exports was first raised by Bahlil on October 21, 2026, at the State Palace, and the cuts were already in effect three days later, on October 24, 2026.
Bahlil previously also stated that the government is considering not extending gas export contracts to neighboring countries if domestic public and industrial needs have not been optimally met. SKK Migas itself had previously studied the possibility of a moratorium on pipeline gas exports to Singapore after the contract expires.
As an illustration of scale, pipeline gas export volumes to Singapore in 2025 were recorded at around 200 million cubic feet per day — equivalent to roughly 200 BBTUD — meaning the 31 BBTUD cut equals about 15 percent of that volume. What has drawn market attention is not the size of the volume, but the precedent: the 30 percent export share is now a variable that can move.
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