JAKARTA: Indonesia is negotiating to secure the release of two tanker vessels belonging to Pertamina International Shipping (PIS) that remain in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said the vessels are seeking safer places to dock as the government works to ensure their safety and eventual departure from the area.
"There are two cargo vessels belonging to Pertamina trapped in the Strait of Hormuz. Now the ships are docking to find a safer place, while we conduct negotiations,” he said, according to the national news agency Antara, on Thursday (March 5).
He said Pertamina has also ensured the safety of the crew members onboard the vessels amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States (US), Israel and Iran in the Middle East.
Bahlil had also given assurances that the situation would not disrupt Indonesia’s energy security, as the government has moved to secure alternative energy supplies, including from the US.
Meanwhile, PIS said last Monday that two of its vessels - MT Gamsunoro, which was loading cargo at Khor al Zubair in Iraq, and MT Pertamina Pride, which had completed loading and was anchored at Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia - remain within the Gulf area and are being monitored in real time to ensure security conditions.- Bernama
