Pertamina to sign contract for Indonesia's East Natuna block with Exxon, PTTEP

[ JAKARTA] Pertamina expects to sign a production-sharing contract for the East Natuna gas block in Indonesia with Exxon Mobil and Thailand's PTTEP in September, said an official at Indonesia's state-owned energy company.

Confirmation of the plans to sign a new contract by Mediawati, a senior vice president for upstream strategic planning and operations evaluation at Pertamina, comes as Indonesia is trying to assert its ownership over an area that Beijing recently said was subject to "over-lapping claims".

The East Natuna gas field is believed to hold one of the world's largest untapped gas reserves.

REUTERS