Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources  Bahlil Lahadalia has secured a $20 billion investment commitment from INPEX Corporation to accelerate the Abadi Masela gas field project in Maluku. 

During a high-level meeting with INPEX CEO Takayuki Ueda in Tokyo on Sunday, he said that the government will no longer tolerate delays for the mega-project, which has been stalled for nearly three decades. 

The project, currently 25% complete, is slated to begin its Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) phase by the third quarter of 2026 to facilitate immediate construction tendering.

"The government is serious about ensuring the Abadi Masela project finally moves forward after being delayed for decades," Minister Bahlil said on Monday (16/3/2026), as cited by antaranews.com. 

To guarantee progress, the government proposed that the sovereign wealth fund Danantara act as a standby buyer for the field's 9 million tonnes of annual gas production if external buyers are not secured by April. This strategic intervention aims to transform the Arafura Sea into a regional energy hub, fueling national downstream industries and driving economic growth across Eastern Indonesia.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)