Pertamina remains unclear about fate of its oil exploration contract in Iraq

State oil and gas firm Pertamina hopes that any post-war Iraqi government will respect the contract it had signed with The Iraqi Oil Exploration Company to explore for oil in that country?s Western Desert Block, Koran Tempo daily reported Friday.

Pertamina is not clear yet when to start oil exploration activities in the war-torn country because a new Iraqi government is not yet in place. Exploration was originally planned to start early this year.

Pertamina and The Iraqi Oil Exploration Company last year signed an agreement to allow the Indonesian firm to explore for oil in the 10,000-sq meter Western Desert area.

Pertamina president director Baihaki Hakim said it had invested US$35 million in preliminary exploration activities in the oil block. (*)