Fuel crisis hits Indonesia's Bali, triggers long lines in gas stations for days

DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) — Long lines of vehicles snaked outside gas stations across Indonesia’s resort island of Bali this week after fuel deliveries were disrupted by a combination of technical problems, bad weather and surging demand, officials said Wednesday.

On the tourism-dependent island, motorcycles and cars waited outside stations and spilled onto nearby roads as motorists scrambled for fuel. The lines have been reported since Sunday.

Officials stressed that the shortages were caused by domestic distribution problems rather than a lack of fuel supplies or turmoil in global energy markets.

“This is purely a distribution issue,” said Laode Sulaeman, director-general of oil and gas at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry. “A fuel tanker was delayed, but it has now arrived and 24-hour deliveries have been underway since yesterday.”

Sulaeman said that a tanker carrying fuel to Bali suffered an anchor problem while preparing to unload cargo, delaying deliveries to the island’s main fuel terminals. Rough seas and bad weather also slowed shipments to the Sanggaran terminal in Denpasar and the Manggis terminal in eastern Bali.

The disruption was compounded by strong demand for government-subsidized Pertalite gasoline, which is significantly cheaper than nonsubsidized fuel. Panic-buying by motorists worried about shortages further strained supplies at some stations.

At several gas stations, attendants posted signs reading, “Sorry, no fuel available,” while drivers and motorcyclists waited outside closed facilities for new deliveries. The shortages have frustrated residents and business owners on the resort island, where transportation is critical for daily life and tourism.

“This is really a waste of time. We should be productive, but instead we’re stuck in line,” said Made Marlianti, who said she had spent about seven hours waiting for fuel under the hot sun.

Fashion store owner Febi Marsha said that authorities should have managed the situation more effectively before it escalated.

“Fuel is available, but supplies are limited,” Marsha said. “The queues should be managed properly to prevent this from happening.”

Photos and videos obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday from several locations showed long lines of motorcycles, idle fuel pumps and security personnel, including soldiers, deployed to help manage crowds.

Bali Gov. I Wayan Koster said that fuel stocks at storage depots remained sufficient, but deliveries to gas stations were slowed by delayed tanker arrivals and road congestion. He urged residents not to panic, saying additional supplies were being distributed across the island.

State-run energy company Pertamina said that it was closely monitoring supplies after the arrival of a tanker carrying 18 million liters (4.8 million gallons) of Pertalite and 2.5 million liters (660,000 gallons) of Pertamax, a higher-octane nonsubsidized gasoline.

The shortages come as the country faces broader challenges securing fuel imports amid disruptions to global shipping routes linked to tensions in the Middle East . Despite the growing fiscal weight on the state budget, President Prabowo Subianto has held subsidized pump prices firm through the end of the year to contain inflation and shield household purchasing power.

Niniek Karmini contributed to this report from Jakarta.