Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Indonesian government is forming a specialized task force to crack down on illegal oil wells across the country.

"With global oil prices soaring, it is imperative for Indonesia to secure its domestic reserves, yet many existing wells remain unlicensed and unregulated," said Brigadier General Moh. Irhamni, the Director of Specific Crimes of the Indonesian National Police (INP)’s Criminal Investigation Agency, during a press briefing on Wednesday (8/4/2026).

The task force, which is a joint initiative involving the INP, the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Task Force (SKK Migas), the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, and state energy company PT Pertamina, will focus its initial operations on known illegal drilling hubs in Sumatra and Kalimantan. 

Under the newly enacted Ministerial Regulation No. 14 of 2025, the government offers a path to legalization: existing community-managed wells can be integrated into the national supply chain by selling their output to PT Pertamina or private energy company Medco Energi, provided they enter into formal cooperation agreements.

Officials emphasized that while the policy aims to absorb existing community production, it strictly prohibits the drilling of any new unauthorized wells. Over the next four years, the task force will systematically shutter any operations that refuse to comply with the new regulatory framework, ensuring all domestic oil production is accounted for and safety standards are met.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)