Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia and Japan have reached an agreement to accelerate the development of the Abadi Field gas project in the Masela Block, Maluku, amid the ongoing war between the United States (US) and Israel against Iran.”Yes, all parties agree to accelerate the process,” the Head of the Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas), Djoko Siswanto, said on Monday.According to him, discussions on the Masela Block development are proceeding well and continue to show progress.Siswanto, along with the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, accompanied President Prabowo Subianto on a state visit to Japan to strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries.ESDM Ministry Spokesperson Dwi Anggia said the energy sector was one of the topics discussed during the visit.She conveyed that energy cooperation with Japan holds significant potential for strengthening national energy security.In this context, she highlighted the ESDM minister’s role in ensuring that opportunities for energy cooperation materialize into concrete agreements.Earlier on March 15, Minister Lahadalia met with Inpex Corporation CEO Takayuki Ueda, marking a crucial milestone in accelerating the Masela Block project, which has an investment agreement of US$20 billion.The Masela Block project is considered a new economic driver for Eastern Indonesia and a major source of gas supply for the future national industry.Indonesian Ambassador to Japan and the Federated States of Micronesia, Nurmala Kartini Sjahrir, stated that the agreement to develop the Abadi Field in the Masela Block represents a milestone for national energy security.The Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo will continue to facilitate the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) phase to be completed on time in the third quarter of 2026, thereby achieving the production target of 2029–2030.Meanwhile, Lahadalia also expressed his appreciation for the project's progress, which has reached approximately 25 percent.He then noted his target for the Abadi Field project to progress to the FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) stage by Q2 2026, or at the latest Q3, allowing for an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) tender to be carried out in parallel. Related news: Maluku, Bappenas discuss Masela Block industrial area development