Prior to his departure to Tehran, the visiting minister said Jakarta is interested in increased cooperation with Iran after removal of sanctions. “There are numerous countries that want to cooperate with Iran. Indonesia shall not be the last among the countries queuing up to enter Iran.”
The upcoming OPEC meeting, crude supply, oil exploration projects, and trade of gas for fertilizer production are expected to be discussed during his visit.
Jakarta wants to return to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). It used to be a major oil producer in OPEC, and is looking for investment in this sector as it has turned to an importer of energy, Indonesian officials said.
Iran and Indonesia have agreed to construct small-size refineries of 20,000 to 300,000 bpd capacity in Indonesia. The joint venture project is worth around 3 billion dollars in which Iran has a 30 percent share.
“I have met Iranian investors and energy officials for three times and will proceed with the negotiations in Tehran,” the Indonesian minister said, adding that Iran is interested to export bitumen to Indonesia and to cooperate in electricity generation in the southeast Asian nation.