Samboja, East Kalimantan – PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM), in collaboration with the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation/Yayasan Penyelamatan Orangutan Borneo (BOSF), provided support for an orangutan rehabilitation program and its habitat restoration at the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rehabilitation Center in Kutai Kartanegara on January 18, 2025. This collaboration reflects the company's commitment to conserving protected wildlife and their habitats, including ensuring the sustainability of Kalimantan's endemic species.

The program handover ceremony was attended by the Manager of the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Reintroduction Program, drh. Agus Irwanto, PHM General Manager Setyo Sapto Edi, and other PHM management members. The program also aligns with the Ministry of Forestry's vision to preserve Indonesia's biodiversity.

The Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation caused by deforestation, land conversion for agriculture and mining, forest fires, hunting, and illegal wildlife trade. In 2016, the orangutan population was estimated at just 57,350 individuals (PHVA, 2016).

PHM's support for this program includes planting 400 trees across a one-hectare area, maintaining and securing the site for five years, and funding the rehabilitation needs of three orangutans. The program aims to rehabilitate orangutans for eventual release into the wild or provide lifelong care for those deemed unreleaseable due to medical or psychological reasons.

Manager of the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Reintroduction Program, drh. Agus Irwanto expressed his gratitude to PHM for this partnership. "We extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to SKK Migas and PHM for their commitment to sustaining wildlife and their habitats," said Agus. He explained that orangutan rehabilitation is a lengthy process, taking up to seven or eight years, and includes training to regain natural behaviors such as climbing trees, building nests, foraging for natural food, and recognizing predators. "This rehabilitation process is crucial to ensure orangutans can be released back into the forest and live independently in their natural habitat," he added.

Meanwhile, PHM General Manager Setyo Sapto Edi stated that the orangutan and habitat rehabilitation initiative align with the company's commitment to implementing innovative and sustainable corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. This effort reflects the principles of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 15, Life on Land. "Our support for orangutan conservation and habitat restoration represents PHM's dedication to protecting and preserving the environment and biodiversity through Community Development or Environmental CSR Programs, focusing on flora, fauna, and habitat conservation in our operational areas," said Setyo. He hoped the orangutan and habitat rehabilitation collaboration would help save orangutan populations and expand their safe habitats.

PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia's Manager of Communication Relations and CID, Dony Indrawan, acknowledged the ongoing collaboration with BOSF. "We believe that collaboration with all stakeholders, including local communities, regional governments, and NGOs, is a critical factor in ensuring the success of the company's CSR programs," he said.

He added that PHI and all its subsidiaries and affiliates continue to foster stronger collaboration with stakeholders to ensure the company's oil and gas operations produce safe and environmentally friendly energy with a positive, widespread impact that benefits all.

PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM), a subsidiary of PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI), oversees oil and gas upstream operations and businesses in the Mahakam Work Area in East Kalimantan, adhering to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. In collaboration with SKK Migas, PHM and other subsidiaries and affiliates of PHI consistently innovate and apply technology to deliver safe, efficient, reliable, compliant, and environmentally friendly energy to realize #EnergiKalimantanUntukIndonesia. For more information about PHI, visit https://phi.pertamina.com.