The Prime Minister of East Timor lambasted an Australian consortium, claiming that the group is trying to steal the country's natural resources from a gas field that is currently developing in the Timor Sea.

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said on Tuesday that East Timor expressed its interest to construct a pipeline from the gas field to Dili, but the consortium has ignored these statements.

Woodside Petroleum, the consortium, announced in April that it seeks to load tankers at sea from a world-first floating plant, however, a final decision has not been reached. The company did not elaborate its plans but has publicly expressed that it is interested to install a pipeline to its northern city of Darwin.

But the prime minister has branded the company as a liar for stealing their oil and gas.

"I don't believe Woodside company because it is a liar," Gusmao said. "They intend to steal our oil and gas in Timor Sea as they don't want to bring the pipeline to East Timor."

The Greater Sunrise gas field in the sea between Australia and East Timor can hold an approximate of 240 million barrels of light oil and 154 billion cubic metres of natural gas.

East Timor said the resource may uplift 1.1 million people out of poverty by manipulating the local economy and provide livelihood. The country has no major industry while unemployment surged up to 30 per cent.

Gusmao alleged the consortium has breached their promise to train East Timorese as engineers and only hired 30 local people in its Timor Sea exploration.

The Prime Minister has urged its citizens and its leaders to defend its wealth in the Timor Sea and not submit freely to Woodside's wishes.

Woodside, in their defense, said that a deep trench off the East Timorese coast would make construction difficult while the 450-kilometer Darwin is accessible for Greater Sunrise.

Woodside and its partners Royal Dutch/Shell, Osaka Gas and ConocoPhilipps are permitted to develop Greater Sunrise.