Chimera Villas Bali

Bali’s Fuel Crisis Explained: Odd-Even Rules, Purchase Limits and What Visitors Should Know

The fuel queues we reported on October 8 have turned into something much bigger. By October 17, the Bali fuel crisis had moved schools and universities online, triggered a work-from-home order for government offices, and led to odd-even rules for buying Pertalite across the island.

The short version: from Saturday, October 17 to Monday, October 19, cars and motorbikes in Bali can buy Pertalite only on days that match the last digit of their licence plate, with limits of 20 litres for cars and 3 litres for motorbikes. Pertamina says supplies are being rebuilt, and Governor Wayan Koster says tourism is safe. What no report we read gives is an end date, so here’s what’s confirmed, where the sources disagree, and what it means if you’re visiting.

How the Shortage Escalated

Our October 8 article covered queues in Denpasar and South Kuta on October 7, and by October 10 Pertamina was saying service had returned to normal. That didn’t last. The Governor has described a new shortage that began on the afternoon of Monday, October 12, and long queues were still being reported across the island on Wednesday, October 14.

The explanation officials gave centres on a delayed tanker. Pertamina’s president director, Simon Aloysius Mantiri, apologized to the people of Bali and said a vessel had difficulty with its anchor, which delayed unloading. Governor Koster said a ship carrying 18 million litres was due to dock on the morning of Sunday, October 11 but didn’t arrive until around 10 p.m., which disrupted distribution to the depot. The reports don’t agree on the day of the delay: The Bali Times dates the unloading problem to October 12, while Bali Discovery’s account of Mantiri’s remarks has unloading planned for 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 13 and pushed back to about 10 p.m. We can’t tell you which is right.

It also isn’t only a Bali story. Energy minister Bahlil Lahadalia said Pertamina had reported supply disruptions in East Java, Bali and other regions because of freight transportation issues, and he ordered the company to double the ships it uses. An Ombudsman report found distribution and refuelling disruptions in 11 provinces as of October 13, with Bali among them.

What Changed for Daily Life

On October 14, Udayana University moved lectures, academic consultations and exams online from October 14 to 16, and Warmadewa University did the same. Denpasar told its schools, from early childhood through junior high, to teach online from October 15 to 17. That evening, Bali’s Regional Secretary, Dewa Made Indra, announced a three-day work-from-home policy for October 15 to 17 covering government agencies, state and regional-owned enterprises, universities and other education units. Public services that need face-to-face contact, emergency response and security staff stay at their workplaces.

One conflict is worth flagging. The Bali Times reported on October 14 that the Governor had said the province would not proceed with a broader work-from-home policy after Pertamina agreed to speed up its response. ANTARA, the Regional Secretary’s own statement and Bali Discovery’s account of the circular all describe the three-day policy as going ahead, and none of the reports we read says it was later cancelled. We’re going with the later, more detailed reports, but we can’t rule out that details changed.

The Odd-Even Rules, October 17 to 19

The Bali provincial government and Pertamina Patra Niaga announced on October 16 that an odd-even system would apply at all Pertamina stations across the province from Saturday, October 17. It covers Pertalite, the subsidised grade, for both cars and motorbikes. If your plate ends in an odd digit (1, 3, 5, 7 or 9), you buy on odd-numbered dates. If it ends in an even digit (0, 2, 4, 6 or 8), you buy on even-numbered dates. That means odd plates on October 17, even plates on October 18, and, following the same rule, odd plates again on October 19, which is how The Bali Times lists it.

The purchase limits are 20 litres per car and 3 litres per motorbike, and Pertamina says they stay “until conditions return to normal.” The Governor’s letter prioritizes ambulances and fire engines at stations and restricts trucks to refuelling at night. About 100 personnel from the Udayana military command are staffing stations at night, and police are escorting fuel tankers. Pertamina’s contact centre is 135.

Where the Supply Stands

Pertamina told ANTARA it brought in 57.9 million litres of fuel between October 14 and 17: 44.9 million litres of Pertalite and 13 million litres of Pertamax. On October 16, two tankers docked, MT Pangkalan Brandan at the Manggis terminal in Karangasem with 16 million litres of Pertalite and MT Asian Rigel at the Sanggaran terminal in Denpasar with 4 million litres, 20 million litres in all. Pertamina puts its combined stock at 48 million litres, which it says is enough for 14 to 15 days.

To cut queues, Pertamina also began a jerry-can delivery service for motorcyclists at eight Denpasar stations: 5,000 litres of Pertalite a day, a maximum of 3 litres per person, cash only. Selected stations are open 24 hours, though the reports disagree on how many: 66 stations (42 in Denpasar and 24 in Badung) in Pertamina’s announcement, and 92 in the Governor’s figures.

What It Means for Visitors

Asked about tourism on October 16, Governor Koster said, “So far, tourism is safe.” He added that the impact hasn’t been calculated but that activity has certainly been reduced, and he urged people whose vehicles still have fuel not to rush to refuel. The reports we read don’t describe any tourist-specific fuel arrangements.

The one tourism example we found is in Kintamani, where The Bali Times reported jeep drivers who run sunrise and black-lava tours at Mount Batur queueing for petrol, including a line of about 200 metres at a station on Jalan Raya Penelokan where Pertalite ran out. The sources we read don’t mention taxis, scooter rentals, airport transfers or fast boats, so we can’t say how those are affected. Pertamina’s own update did list long queues near Ngurah Rai Airport on October 15.

Our suggestions, which are ours and not official guidance: if you’re driving or riding a rented vehicle, the odd-even rule goes by its plate number, so check it before you head to a station. Confirm key transfers with your host or driver in advance, and build a little slack into long days out.

You may also see social media posts about people selling bottled fuel at inflated prices. The Bali Times reported on a viral video that allegedly shows fuel offered to foreigners at Rp150,000 to Rp200,000 for about 1.5 litres, but the video hasn’t been authenticated and police have said they’re investigating reports of fuel being resold online. We’d treat any such offer with caution.

What We Still Don’t Know

No report we read says when the shortage will end. The odd-even scheme is explicitly limited to October 17 to 19, and what happens after that hasn’t been announced. We also haven’t seen any independent figure for how much the crisis has affected tourism, and the Governor himself said it hasn’t been calculated. Some numbers, such as the station counts and the delay date, differ between sources, and we’ve said so rather than choose one.

Quick Answers About the Bali Fuel Crisis

What are the odd-even rules? From October 17 to 19, you can buy Pertalite only on dates matching the last digit of your plate: odd with odd, even with even. Limits are 20 litres for cars and 3 litres for motorbikes.

Is it safe to visit Bali right now? The Governor says tourism is safe. The reports we read mention queues and reduced activity, not closures or cancellations of tourist services.

How long will this last? No end date has been given. The odd-even scheme is set for October 17 to 19.

Who do I contact about fuel service problems? Pertamina’s contact centre on 135.

The Chimera Villas Take

It’s a situation that has changed day by day, and we’d rather tell you what’s confirmed than guess where it goes next. If you’re travelling in Bali over the coming days, check Pertamina’s official channels for the latest rules and ask your villa host or driver how they’re managing transport. For the start of the story, see our October 8 report on the first queues.