Nigel Wilson – Australia is refusing to give East Timor a timetable for reaching a permanent maritime boundary between the two countries that could affect ownership of billions of dollars in oil and gas reserves.

On the eve of preliminary talks on the boundary beginning in Canberra tomorrow, Australian government officials emphasised the talks were about the process for the negotiations, not a timetable.

But the East Timor administration is pressing ahead with an international campaign designed to force Australia to give up control of such reserves as Greater Sunrise (owned by Woodside, ConocoPhillips, Shell and Osaka Gas) and the rapidly declining Laminaria oilfield (owned by Woodside, Shell and BHP Billiton).

When Australia negotiated a joint petroleum development area in the Timor Sea between Darwin and Dili, ahead of East Timor's independence in May last year, critics argued East Timor was being forced to give up access to petroleum resources worth up to $30 billion.

Last week, what's described as a "global coalition of non-government organisations" wrote to John Howard urging Australia to treat East Timor fairly as a sovereign nation.

The letter, signed by 100 NGOs from 18 countries, argued that East Timor's rights as an independent nation to establish boundaries and to benefit from its own resources were at stake.

The letter urged the Prime Minister to set a firm timetable to establish a boundary within three years.

But Australian officials said yesterday this was unrealistic as the history of establishing maritime boundaries suggested such negotiations could take up to 30 years to complete.

Australia had no preconceived ideas about how long long the talks might take but tomorrow's meeting of officials was a "scoping" meeting and no substantive questions would be discussed.