Things must be a little strained inside the company when its president director, Ariffi Nawawi, says, "Pertamina is a state-owned firm, so it should be normal for the company to get priority from the government for exploration areas in Indonesia." The call cannot help but concern interest groups calling for greater transparency in Indonesia's business dealings.

This appeal for federal intervention, of sorts, comes on the back of Pertamina being one of eight companies bidding for Sumatra's Palmerah block. As it no longer has a monopoly on tenders, the company now has to bid for contracts like every body else.

Nawawi, however, has not ruled out the idea of Pertamina doing joint ventures when prospecting and developing new areas. "Pertamina is ready to cooperate with other firms in developing exploration areas as long as such cooperation is beneficial for the company and for the state," said Nawawi.