PT Pertamina (Persero) has announced that the company is open to importing crude oil from any country, including Russia. This step is part of its effort to meet the domestic energy demand.

Fadjar Djoko Santoso, Vice President of Corporate Communication at Pertamina, stated that through its subsidiary, PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional, the company had previously imported crude oil from Russia through a tender mechanism.

“Yes, we are open to importing from anywhere. Kilang Pertamina has previously conducted imports from Russia through a tender process, and this is something we will continue to do,” he explained during the Kick Off event of the Pertamina Journalism Award (AJP) 2025 in Jakarta, as quoted on Wednesday (June 18, 2025).

Fadjar further explained that moving forward, Pertamina would continue to explore the possibility of importing crude oil from other countries using a similar tender scheme.

“We conduct open tenders with various parties. This gives us the flexibility to source crude oil from anywhere, including Russia, as long as the process complies with the applicable procedures,” he added.

Earlier, PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI) had revealed that it was in the process of preparing a crude oil procurement tender for refining operations.

Taufik Aditiyawarman, President Director of PT KPI, mentioned that the crude oil procurement tender had been opened since May 2024. Among the sources of crude considered in the process was oil from Russia.

“All our crude requirements are openly published and put up for bidding. The tender is open to companies already registered with our refineries. Some Russian crude types are also included,” said Taufik during the 49th Indonesian Petroleum Association Convention and Exhibition (IPA Convex) 2025 held at ICE BSD, South Tangerang, on Wednesday (May 21, 2025).

He also emphasized that the imported crude must match the specifications of Pertamina’s refineries. Additionally, the crude oil will be delivered directly to the refinery without being stored in intermediate storage tanks.

“The crude will be delivered straight to the refinery. If there’s a Russian crude that fits our specifications and is registered, they’re welcome to join the tender. Of course, all of it must still comply with the agreed tender criteria,” he stated.