According to the US Geological Survey, the quake hit about 250 kilometres west of the town of Abepura in Papua province at 12:46 am local time at a depth of 12 kilometers.
It was felt weakly in Abepura, but most people did not notice it.
There were no immediate reports of casualties after the earthquake.
Last year, a 7.5-magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island killed more than 2,200 with a thousand more declared missing. On Dec 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck Aceh province, causing a tsunami and killing more than 170,000.
Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide.