Brunei Explores Cooperation with Indonesia on Energy Transition and Supply Security
Brunei Darussalam has signalled interest in learning from Indonesia’s energy transition as both countries explore deeper cooperation on power generation, renewable energy and oil supply security. Discussions took place on the sidelines of an international energy forum in Tokyo, reflecting shared concerns about diversification, resilience and long-term sustainability in a changing global energy landscape.
Energy transition discussions at Tokyo forum
Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said Brunei’s interest was discussed during a bilateral meeting at the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum (IPEM) in Tokyo, Japan. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia met with Brunei Darussalam’s Deputy Minister (Energy), Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Mohamad Azmi Bin Haji Mohd Hanifah, to identify practical areas for collaboration.
“This is a golden opportunity for regional collaboration. Brunei sees that Indonesia has made significant progress in developing power generation from various energy sources, where Brunei currently utilises 99 percent gas for its power generation and wants to reduce its share of gas use,” — Bahlil Lahadalia, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Indonesia
According to the ministry, Brunei is planning to expand its national power generation capacity to around five times its current level, adding an estimated 4 GW to the existing 1 GW capacity. The Brunei delegation expressed interest in understanding how Indonesia has developed more diversified sources of electricity generation, including new and renewable energy.
Focus on renewable energy and oil supply security
Beyond power generation, the meeting also covered oil supply security. Minister Lahadalia said discussions created momentum for Indonesia to strengthen national energy resilience by diversifying crude oil sources. With Brunei’s oil production estimated at around 100,000 to 110,000 barrels per day, Indonesia is open to considering imports as one option to support domestic supply stability.
The talks also reflected Indonesia’s broader approach to strengthening governance and regulatory capacity across sectors. This includes parallel efforts in areas such as regulation and support platforms and digital security initiatives, which policymakers see as part of building more resilient national systems.
Interest in enhanced oil recovery technology
Technical cooperation was another area of interest, particularly Indonesia’s experience with Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technology. The state-owned energy company PT Pertamina has applied EOR techniques to increase output from ageing oil fields, drawing attention from Brunei as it looks to maximise recovery from existing reserves.
“We are interested in Indonesia because they have used the EOR technology. We already use water flooding, and we believe we can learn from Indonesia in operating EOR,” — Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Mohamad Azmi Bin Haji Mohd Hanifah, Deputy Minister (Energy), Brunei Darussalam
Brunei has already implemented water flooding techniques and is preparing to move towards chemical flooding, which is comparable to EOR methods. Indonesian officials said knowledge-sharing in this area could benefit both countries as they seek to balance continued oil production with longer-term energy transition goals.
The discussions, reported by ANTARA News, highlight growing regional interest in Indonesia’s evolving energy policies and the potential for pragmatic cooperation within Southeast Asia.
