Prabowo threatens to shift Blok Masela if Inpex stalls
He ordered permits revoked if the energy project remains idle for 6 months to 2 years, then Masela broke ground July 16.
President Prabowo Subianto said he traveled to meet Inpex executives in Tokyo on 31 March 2026 to press for certainty on the LNG Abadi project in Blok Masela, Maluku, which he said had been delayed for 28 years. At a Cabinet plenary session at Istana Negara, Jakarta, on Monday, Prabowo said he asked Inpex to confirm its interest and warned the government could appoint another company if the project did not move forward. After the meeting, he instructed Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia to revoke the permit if there was no activity for six months, and said HGU, HGB and SIUP could also be revoked if they were not used for two years. Less than four months later, groundbreaking for LNG Abadi Masela was held on 16 July in Kepulauan Tanimbar, with Inpex CEO Takayuki Ueda present.