Pertamina, Exxon must solve Cepu dispute through B to B: Vice President

Vice President Jusuf Kalla has called on Pertamina and ExxonMobil Indonesia to end their dispute over the operation of the Cepu oil block through a business to business deal so that the untapped oil block could soon be developed to cope with the decline in the country's oil production, Investor Daily reported on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters in Jakarta on Friday, Kalla said that the development of the Cepu oil block should not be delayed any more because the government is in dire need to get additional oil production to finance the state budget.

"Don't forget, the development of the Cepu oil block will create job opportunities for thousands of people. That's why the oil block should be developed as soon as possible," he added.

Meanwhile newly appointed president of Pertamina Ari Soemarno said that the state-owned oil and gas company still had a desire to become the operator of the Cepu oil block.

"But we have to evaluate all our resources,technically and financially. We have also to consider that we have a lot of oil fields outside the Cepu oil block to be developed," he added.

Soemarno who said Thursday that Cepu would be the top priority of his first hundred days as the president, hoped the Cepu problem could be resolved as soon as possible. (*)