Semarang B50 Inquiry: 406 kL Delivery Order Is Not Verified Cargo

Semarang — Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) and the navy are investigating suspected irregularities involving a vessel described as carrying B50 diesel near Tanjung Emas, Semarang. In a statement on 22 October 2026, the ministry said an administrative delivery order (DO) referred to 406 kilolitres (kL), while purchase documents from Pertamina Patra Niaga Pengapon recorded 24 kL. The resulting 382 kL difference is a discrepancy between records under investigation. It is not a confirmed measurement of physical cargo or proof of criminal wrongdoing.

September inspection, October handover

According to ESDM, the self-propelled oil barge NURFAIZAH 03 came to the authorities' attention during an inspection by naval vessel Pulau Menjangan II-5-39 on 15 September. That was the date of the initial inspection, not a date on which investigators announced a final finding. The Semarang naval base subsequently handed the case to ESDM's law-enforcement directorate for further examination.

At a joint press conference on 22 October, the naval base commander, Marine Colonel Sabprowanto, said the case file was transferred that day. He said the vessel remained at Tanjung Emas port as evidence under supervision. The transfer marks a step in the investigation; neither the ministry's account nor ANTARA's report establishes the origin or legal status of all the fuel associated with the paperwork.

What the three volume figures mean

The ministry's comparison places 24 kL in the Pertamina Patra Niaga Pengapon purchase record and 406 kL in administrative evidence or the DO. The difference of 382 kL is a documentary question requiring checks of the fuel's origin, type, transport documents and legality. It should not be described as 382 kL of illicit fuel physically found aboard. The 406 kL figure likewise should not be presented as a verified inventory of the barge's contents.

ESDM law-enforcement director-general Jeffri Huwae said preliminary findings indicated a plan to transport up to about 1,100 kL. That number describes a proposed volume, not an amount established as loaded or transported. He said that if the entire planned quantity had been loaded, fuel distribution to communities in Semarang and Central Java could have been disrupted. His warning was conditional; the sources do not report that such a disruption occurred.

ESDM characterised the matter as a suspected violation involving the transport of B50 diesel. Its initial description of the fuel does not replace laboratory identification or measurement of the evidence. Readers should therefore distinguish the ministry's account of what is being investigated from a conclusive test result about the cargo.

Lemigas testing and presumption of innocence

Jeffri said the ministry's oil and gas laboratory, Lemigas, was testing the evidence to establish its quality and quantity more precisely. The results were intended to support the developing investigation; no results were provided in the 22 October accounts. Until those findings are released, neither the DO nor the stated transport plan confirms the volume or full specification of fuel physically present.

ESDM said investigators would examine documents and relevant parties and trace the fuel supply chain, coordinating with the military, police, regional authorities and other stakeholders. These checks are relevant to reconciling the purchase record, the DO and the actual evidence. The ministry said the process should be evidence-based and respect the presumption of innocence. The case remains an inquiry into suspected transport and documentation irregularities, not a determination that the vessel's owner, crew or any other party committed a crime.