Pertamina says talks with Petronas on ?D? Alpha Block continuing

State oil and gas firm Pertamina is continuing negotiations with Malaysia?s national petroleum enterprise Petronas for the latter?s participation in ?D? Alpha Block in East Natuna, a senior official of Pertamina told Petromindo.Com on Thursday.

Pertamina upstream director Iin Arifin Takhyan said his company and Petronas would even hold a workshop on ?D? Alpha Block next week. ?Moreover, due diligence on the block will soon be conducted,? Iin Arifin said.

Iin Arifin was responding to Thursday?s remarks of Petronas senior vice president Datuk Ishak Imam Abas that the Malaysian firm had no plan to participate in ?D? Alpha Block.

U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil Corp has 76 percent of working interest in the block, while Pertamina has the remaining 24 percent.

Pertamina had offered Petronas to have a working interest in ?D? Alpha Block which has an estimated 45 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of commercially recoverable gas. (godang)