Jakarta, Dec. 20 -- Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry will auction eight new oil and gas blocks next week as part of efforts to boost upstream exploration and offset declining output from existing fields.

"God willing, next week we will still auction eight more blocks," Oil and Gas Director General Laode Sulaeman said late Friday at a media briefing in Jakarta.

The third-round auction of eight blocks is part of a broader offering of 75 oil and gas blocks prepared by the ministry to attract investment and strengthen future energy supply.

In 2025, Indonesia has already announced two rounds of oil and gas tenders. The first round, launched on June 20, offered three working areas, while the second round, announced on Oct. 1...