REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, is exploring cooperation in the oil and gas sector with Iran after the lifting of international sanctions against the country since January.

Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sudirman Said remarked here on Wednesday that the ministry had held a meeting with the Iranian delegation in Bogor on Tuesday (February 23).

"There was a discussion session on oil and gas during the meeting. There are nine or ten opportunities, which will be explored further," he noted.

The minister said that the cooperation, which had long been explored between the two countries, is related to the imports of oil, condensate, and LPG.

"Hopefully, in the near future, we can sign the contract," he stated.

Sudirman affirmed that the meeting with the Iranian government was intensive. Both sides have made few visits and explored investment opportunities in various fields, including electricity and its supporting infrastructure.

"A session was also earlier held in Bali on oil rigs and supporting infrastructure," he noted.

Director General of Oil and Gas IGN Wiratmaja Puja said several issues were discussed in the meeting with the Iranian delegation.

"There was a discussion on cooperation in the upstream industry, which was related to the exchange of data and technology," he noted.

Wiratmaja remarked that the Indonesian government also invited Iranian investors to invest in Indonesia.

Iran also encouraged Indonesian businessmen to invest in the oil sector in the country, he added.

"In the processing sector, we encourage Iran to supply condensate, oil, and LPG to Indonesia, besides hydrochemical development and capacity building," he emphasized.

Wiratmaja stated that the ministry will follow up the meeting by visiting Iran in March.

"The investment value has not been agreed upon. The purchase amount of crude oil and LPG is still being discussed," he added.

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