The Russian government and Sakhalin-1 oil and gas deposit operator Exxon Neftegas are still at odds over this year's budget for the project, Deputy Natural Resources Minister Sergei Donskoi said on Friday.
"We still have unresolved issues," he said, adding that the negotiations were difficult.
Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko has said the parties have practically ironed out all differences over the offshore project.
"We have not heard that the problem was fixed," Donskoi said.
Donskoi said that Exxon Neftegas wanted to develop the deposit taking economic efficiency into account but the government disagreed.
"We understand there is a technical project written in accordance with Russian legislation, where all deposits which are to be developed are set. All documents and estimates should be prepared in accordance with the technical project. This where our contradictions lie - we proceed from legislation, they proceed from a production sharing agreement," he said.
Exxon Neftegas has suggested a $3.5 billion 2010 budget, but the government considered it too high and approved just $1 billion at the end of 2009.
The Sakhalin-1 project includes the Chaivo, Odoptu and Arkutun-Dagi deposits, with reserves estimated at about 307 million tons of oil (2.3 billion barrels) and 485 billion cubic meters of gas.
Exxon Neftegas and Japan's Sodeco have 30 percent each in the project, while Russia's Rosneft and India's ONGC have 20 percent each.
MOSCOW, September 24 (RIA Novosti)
