LIMA, Sept 10 (Reuters) - The board of directors of

Petroperu said on Tuesday they have presented

their resignation amid a financial crisis in which the Peruvian

state oil firm has battled mounting debt and dwindling cash to

keep its operations running.

The board's decision to resign was unanimous, according to a

company statement.

Peru's prime minister earlier this month said "drastic

measures" were needed, citing a governance problem and backing

company calls for private management as part of a restructuring

plan.

The statement cited Petroperu's "financial

unsustainability" and the lack of sufficient government

response, which the board said it had been flagging since

joining the company's leadership team.

The board members stressed that they could not continue

with their duties given the current circumstances.

"We deeply hope the future decisions will be the best

ones for a country that does not want to keep seeing its scarce

resources - essential to reducing enormous social divides -

allocated to Petroperu without demanding a clear roadmap,

accountability and successful results," the statement added.