Motorists across Indonesia faced growing uncertainty this weekend as Shell Indonesia’s filling stations were left entirely without gasoline, with the multinational company confirming on October 3 that all grades, including Shell Super, V-Power, and V-Power Nitro+, are “unavailable until further notice”.
The nationwide outage marks the most severe disruption yet for private fuel retailers after months of tightening supply across the sector.
Shell’s website published the warning following President Director Ingrid Siburian’s remarks to parliament earlier this week, where she revealed that, by late Thursday, Shell’s reserves had already dwindled to just five operational stations in the capital region before being completely exhausted overnight.
The abrupt fuel outage has forced many motorists to turn to state-owned energy giant Pertamina, causing long queues at its stations in Jakarta and other major cities since Friday morning.
Shell itself has not confirmed when its fuel might return, stating only that it is “working closely with stakeholders to seek solutions”.
Other private market competitors, such as BP and Vivo, have reported similar constraints, with regional gaps in their own supply since late August.
The crisis has intensified scrutiny of the government’s recent import restrictions targeting private downstream operators.
Since mid-2025, a surge in post-pandemic vehicle use and increased industry demand has placed extraordinary pressure on Indonesia’s gasoline distribution system.
Yet, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) issued new limits barring private sector companies from importing their own gasoline cargoes.
Instead, it has instructed Shell, BP, Vivo, and others to source their supply through Pertamina’s downstream trading unit, Patra Niaga, in the name of ensuring “orderly” market distribution.
Private operators have expressed growing frustration with the current policy environment.
President Director Ingrid Siburian told lawmakers that repeated requests for increased allocation had not been met, nor had timelines for supply resumption been clarified.
Meanwhile, consumers and industry groups have urged the government to relax restrictions and reconsider the one-channel supply system, at least temporarily, to avert further shortages.
Social media has been abuzz with complaints from drivers and logistics businesses reporting operational disruptions, particularly in Greater Jakarta and Surabaya.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry (Kementerian ESDM) has not provided any update or indication of when Shell or other private retailers will be able to resume full operations.
In the interim, motorists will need to rely on Pertamina’s stations, which remain operational but under pressure.
The ongoing fuel crisis marks a critical test of Indonesia’s energy policy and market flexibility.
Unless import restrictions are eased or new supply channels are arranged, analysts warn that further disruptions and economic knock-on effects remain likely in the weeks ahead.
