Jakarta, July 21 -- Indonesia's Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia said the government could reduced its oil imports from around 1 million barrels per day (bpd) to 700,000-750,000 bpd following the mandatory of B50 biodiesel programme.

The B50 programme, which requires diesel fuel to contain 50 percent palm oil based biodiesel, has enabled Indonesia to cut its oil imports by about 250,000-300,000 bpd, Lahadalia told reporters here in Jakarta on Tuesday.

"By converting to B50, we have been able to cut our oil imports by nearly 250,000 to 300,000 barrels per day," Lahadalia said.

Indonesia consumes approximately 1.6 million barrels of fuel per day, while domestic crude oil production stands at around 600,000-615,00...