KATADATA ? Indonesia is finally re-accepted to be the member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), considering that seven years ago Indonesia had decided to withdraw from the organization because Indonesia had become an oil-importer country.
The Energy and Mineral Resources (EMR) Ministry?s General Secretary Teguh Pamudji revealed that his side has received notification letter from the OPEC Secretariat General last week. ?Indonesia has been re-accepted as OPEC member, not as observer,? Teguh said to Katadata, Monday (7/9). However, Indonesia would only be effectively joining the OPEC team in the upcoming November.
Indonesia would become the 13th OPEC member and the only country that comes from Asia besides the Middle-Eastern countries. Seven years ago, Indonesia, under the President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, had decided to withdraw from the organization due to the deficit in oil production. Currently, the nation?s oil consumption is around 1.5 million barrels per day, while the production is only at 800 thousand barrels per day.
Ever since the middle of the year, the Indonesian government has climbed the possibility of becoming an OPEC member again. In fact, on last 3 to 6 June, the EMR Minister Sudirman Said was present in the OPEC conference in Wina, Austria. According to Sudirman, if Indonesia can be in the OPEC Community, then Indonesia would gain access to oil and gas information routinely.
Besides that, Indonesia can also build a good friendship with many oil producers. This would surely be the government?s strategy so that they can be easier in getting oil supply from the other OPEC members.
However, Pri Agung Rakhmanto, an energy observer from Trisakti University, said that Indonesian entrance into OPEC is not a guarantee for an easier access to get oil. It all depends on the diplomacy to each country. ?It?s only the access that?ll be relatively opened,? Pri explained.
Besides, the government must also be able to bring several OPEC members to invest in Indonesia so that Indonesia?s membership in OPEC can really be meaningful as well as impactful for Indonesia.
On the other side, the current importance of OPEC members and Indonesia is now different. OPEC countries are currently halting their production due to the low global oil prices that plunges down to below US$ 40 per barrel, while Indonesia still needs an increase in oil production since until now Indonesia is still an oil-importing country.