April 10, 2026
JAKARTA – Pertamina is racing to secure the release of two of its tankers stuck in the Persian Gulf through diplomatic channels, as analysts warn that the recent United States-Iran ceasefire does little to guarantee safe passage through the politically charged Strait of Hormuz.
The two vessels in question are the Pertamina Pride and the Gamsunoro, both owned by Pertamina International Shipping (PIS), the state-owned energy company’s shipping and logistics arm.
“Together with the Foreign Ministry, PIS continues to monitor developments 24/7 and discuss technical preparations to ensure the safe passage of both vessels,” acting PIS corporate secretary Vega Pita said on Wednesday, without disclosing details on what is holding up the process.
The company says its top priority remains the safety of all crew members, as well as the security of the vessels and their cargo.
“We ask for the prayers and support of all Indonesians, so that this process can be completed,” she added.
The Pertamina Pride is a very large crude carrier (VLCC), or supertanker, with a capacity of more than 300,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT), capable of carrying approximately 2 million barrels of crude oil.
The Gamsunoro, on the other hand, is an Aframax-class medium-sized tanker with a capacity of 100,000 DWT.
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said on Wednesday that negotiations were ongoing to free the ships.
He stressed that having to wait for the affected cargo volume of around 1.8 million barrels, equivalent to just one to two days of national consumption, posed no threat to domestic fuel supply, as alternative sources were being secured.
“We continue to communicate, but please do not associate the negotiation process with supply disruptions,” he said.
The statement comes amid heightened scrutiny over the fate of the two tankers, which analysts say remain vulnerable to operational risks in the Strait of Hormuz despite the ceasefire announced by Washington on Tuesday.
The agreement between the US and Iran has brought a measure of short-term stabilization to the volatile Gulf region but falls far short of full normalization, according to Rizal Taufikurahman, head of the macroeconomics and finance center at the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef).
He cautioned that the détente remained conditional and temporary.
While the eased tensions reduced pressure on Indonesia’s energy import costs and shipping risk premiums, Rizal stressed that this did not translate into automatic clearance for the two Pertamina vessels.
“The ceasefire is a window for negotiation, not a guarantee of smooth sailing,” Rizal told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. “Operational risks in the Strait of Hormuz remain high and are dependent on clearance from Iranian authorities.”
He urged Pertamina and the Foreign Ministry to adopt a proactive and technocratic strategy rather than a reactive one.
The key, he noted, was to secure a written, time-bound and operational safe-passage arrangement covering specific routes, escort coordination and communication protocols.
Rizal went on to emphasize the need for diversified routes and alternative supply sources to ensure Indonesia’s energy security is not overly dependent on a single geopolitical choke point.
“Hormuz is now more than just a logistics route,” he said. “It has become a highly politicized geopolitical instrument.”
Some news reports indicate that other vessels were cleared to pass through the narrow strait after owners met an alleged Iranian demand for passage levies in Chinese yuan or cryptocurrency.
However, the Indef expert urged caution: “I see no strong confirmation to conclude that this was the primary factor in the detention of the Indonesian vessel.”
While acknowledging that unilateral levies on an international route would set a dangerous precedent for global logistics costs, Rizal surmised that Indonesia’s primary problems had more to do with permits, vessel classification and security clearance than with payment or currency issues.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Vahd Nabyl A. Mulachela said on Wednesday that the Foreign Ministry and the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran had been coordinating with Iranian authorities from the outset to secure passage for the Pertamina vessels.
When asked whether toll fees were discussed, he only said that each vessel was assessed separately but declined to disclose negotiation specifics.
As diplomatic efforts continue, the government has sought to reassure the public that domestic energy supplies remain unaffected.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said fuel oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplies “remain secure” despite disruption of global distribution channels.
“We can confirm that the national supply of fuel oil and LPG is currently secure,” Muhammad Rizwi Jilanisaf Hisjam, secretary of the oil and gas directorate general, told House of Representatives Commission XII, which oversees energy and mineral resources, on Wednesday.
The ministry says it has taken a series of mitigation measures to secure supply.
It is regulating fuel and LPG consumption via a directive from the oil and gas directorate general and the Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (BPH Migas), while shifting imports away from Middle Eastern countries to alternative suppliers in the Americas, Africa and Asia.
The ministry has also instructed domestic contractors to prioritize domestic crude supply over exports to offset potential losses, alongside optimizing domestic refinery operations.
“We are also exploring other LPG sources in Asian and ASEAN countries,” Rizwi added.
“We have instructed private LPG refineries to prioritize their production for Pertamina Patra Niaga, the state-owned entity responsible for public LPG distribution. This production was previously sold to industries, but we have proposed that it now be offered first to Pertamina Patra Niaga to meet public needs.”