eg state if wanted to play hardball could maybe refuse to approve development plans, could refuse to allow any transfer, could enforce drawing up of a utilisation plan and demand party fulfils it or cancels existing contract (tricky if party doesnt have funds without bringing in a partner) or any many of such mischief....
Im not suggesting this necessarily likely, but in the absence of clarification from PCI (and maybe even then) I am not hugely confident that PCI couldnt be railroaded into the new structure if that was the desire of algeria...
dont forget from some of those news articles above it seems their attitude is that if the new amendments put off investors and slows development this will just serve to help preserve natural resources for future generations... a clear signal of a willingness to play hardball to me.... and key govt peeps are obviously playing to the gallery with these amendments....certainly to a vocal and powerful section of the people who could not be ignored, leading to this climb down on 2005's hydrocarbon liberalisation...