TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Plans to unload the tanker MV Sierra at the Lawe-Lawe Terminal in North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan, fell behind schedule. The vessel, carrying crude oil from Kozmino Port in Russia, had originally been expected to arrive on Friday, June 26, 2026, and complete unloading by Sunday, June 28. In reality, however, the Sierra did not arrive until June 28.
"According to records in the InaPortnet system, the vessel arrived only on June 28 and departed again on June 30," Deni Wisnu Anggoro, Head of Public Relations at the Balikpapan Class I Harbormaster and Port Authority Office, told Tempo on Thursday, July 16, 2026.
The Sierra's arrival at Lawe-Lawe was notable because the Cameroon-flagged tanker carried a highly unusual cargo: Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) crude oil from Russia. According to documents reviewed by Tempo, the shipment totaled 740,388 barrels, plus or minus 10 percent. The crude was imported by the Research and Development Center for Oil and Gas Technology (Lemigas), a public service agency under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
For Indonesia, ESPO crude is politically sensitive—not because of its specifications, but because of its origin. Russia remains subject to economic sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, and several other countries. Those sanctions stem from Russia's attempt to annex Ukraine several years ago. More troubling, they can extend to countries and companies that maintain trade relations with Russia.
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