A small group of protestors is rallying outside an international oil and gas conference in the northern Australian city of Darwin, angry over Australia's treatment of East Timor in natural resource negotiations.

Our reporter, Danielle Parry, says senior players in the Australian and Asian petroleum industry are meeting in Darwin to discuss new developments and opportunities in Asia and Northern Australia.

It is the 10th SEAAOC conference and the Timor Sea gas development is on the agenda. About a dozen people have gathered outside the conference waving banners and chanting "Hands Off Timor's Oil".

The rally has been organised by the Timor Sea Justice Campaign, which believes East Timor is being treated unfairly by Australia in oil and gas negotiations regarding the Timor Sea.

At the heart of the dispute are billions of dollars worth of royalties from oil and gas reserves, which lie in the waters between Australia and East Timor, known as the Timor Sea.

East Timor wants the maritime border to be renegotiated to ensure a greater share of the reserves.