TEMPO.CO, Samarinda - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia said the Italian-based company Eni is seeking to invest in East Kalimantan with investments worth US$10 billion, or Rp150 trillion. 

"Eni is interested in investing in East Kalimantan for the offshore natural gas production in the Makassar Strait, namely the Jangkrik and Merakes natural gas fields," said Bahlil during the opening of the Golkar Party Congress in Samarinda on Saturday, July 19, 2025.

Eni is an energy company headquartered in Rome, established since 1953, operating in the field of petroleum, natural gas, and petrochemicals. Eni is one of the largest oil companies in Europe and has expanded to more than 70 countries.

The company, engaged in the exploration, production, and development of hydrocarbons, both onshore and offshore, will invest in the region worth around Rp150 trillion and will commence production in 2027.

According to Bahlil, the production of natural gas from these two nearby gas fields is expected to drive production to meet both domestic and export markets. 

The global economic conditions are sluggish, steep with political tensions caused by wars in several parts of the world. But amid these hardships, a European company is keen to invest in Indonesia, which is good news since this could speed up the regional economic turnover. 

According to Bahlil, the global tension also affects economic warfare and tariff wars, such as those carried out by the U.S. He commended Prabowo's efforts to lower the U.S.-imposed tariff from 32 percent to 19 percent import levies.

On Eni's investment, Bahlil said it would improve the regional economic growth and absorb both the local and national workforce. Moreover, the government will exercise efforts to transfer some of the participating interest to the East Kalimantan province to boost its revenue shares.

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