Government decided to freeze the state-owned energy producer PT Pertamina’s deal to operate the Mansouri oil field in Iran over because it wanted to preserve the country’s relationship with the United States. Pertamina’s Acting Chief Executive Nicke Widyawati said on Tuesday ( June 26), that the decision came after consultations between Indonesia’s presidency, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry (ESDM) and the company. She would not say whether the Mansouri project was likely to be revived in the future.

Previously, the largest oil and gas producer in Indonesia, expects to complete its planned acquisition of an operating interest in Iran’s Mansouri oilfield in April of 2018. The block is expected to produce about 300,000 bpd.