Japan’s Inpex has formally begun construction of Indonesia’s long-delayed $20.9 billion Abadi LNG project in the Masela Block, marking a major step toward developing one of Asia’s largest new gas projects.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 16 in the Tanimbar Islands, Maluku, with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attending virtually. The project is expected to produce about 9.5 million tonnes of LNG annually and strengthen Indonesia’s energy security and industrial development.
Inpex President and CEO Takayuki Ueda described the project as extremely important for Japan and the wider Indo-Pacific region, saying it could contribute to future energy security. The project involves Inpex alongside Indonesia’s Pertamina and Malaysia’s Petronas.
The Abadi project has faced delays for more than two decades, including a shift from an earlier offshore development concept to an onshore LNG plant. Inpex has been advancing engineering work and plans an LNG facility with annual capacity of around 9.5 million tonnes.
