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Indonesia says Trump’s Venezuela oil deal has no global energy impact

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said US President Donald Trump’s claim that the United States would receive 30–50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela is unlikely to have a significant impact on global energy markets.According to Hartarto, Venezuela’s current oil production capacity is below one million barrels per day, accounting for less than one percent of global oil output. As a result, the diversion of such a volume of oil would not meaningfully affect global supply.“It won’t have any impact. First, Venezuela’s oil production is below one million barrels per day, so it is less than one percent. Globally, there will be no impact,” Hartarto said at his office on Friday.He noted that the development would have a greater effect on the United States’ domestic energy market than on the global market as a whole.Earlier, on January 6, Trump announced that Venezuela’s interim government had agreed to transfer between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil to the United States.The oil would be sold at market prices, with the proceeds managed under Trump administration.Trump expressed hope that the move would help meet part of the US energy needs while providing economic benefits for both countries. Assuming an oil price of around US$56 per barrel, the 30–50 million barrels are estimated to be worth approximately US$2.8 billion, or around Rp47 trillion.When asked about the political transition in Venezuela, Hartarto said the Indonesian government was continuing to monitor developments.“We will just monitor it,” he said.Meanwhile, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has also assessed that the ongoing conflict in Venezuela has not had a significant impact on global oil prices or international oil trade.In response to geopolitical uncertainties, Indonesia is taking precautionary steps by boosting domestic oil production.The ministry’s Director General of Oil and Gas, Laode Sulaeman, confirmed that developments in Venezuela have not affected Indonesia’s fuel supply or prices, as Indonesia does not import crude oil from the country.