Kazakhstan’s Environmental Protection Ministry told Oil Majers working in the country that they have 40 days to pay a multi -billion dollar fine for sulfur pollution, which is a blow to producers who claimed victory in the matter weeks ago.
In early August, partners in the NCOC and the Kashgan Oil Field, who are the second largest in the country, said they had won the lawsuit in the Central Asian country on a 2.356 trillion tanj fines in the court-which is $ 44 billion at current exchange rates.
But on Monday, the country’s Environment Agency told Venture Partners that according to the people of the matter, it is now fine to appeal against it and now they have 10 days. He said that the plan is to appeal but if they do not do so, then payment will be needed within 30 days, he said, adding that the details of the case should be demanded not to be discussed.
The NCOC said in a statement that it was a “deep disturbance” by the decision, which a part of the Ministry of Environmental Protection has been taken by the Atirao Regional Environment Department, in which the operator has been declared a “extraordinary” fine.
The NCOC said that the decision was against the recent judicial decisions, highlighting serious flaws in the regional environmental authority process and violating both national and international law as well as a violation of a productive partnership with the state.
It is unclear what authority the government has now pushed forward with the fine, but the Ministry of Environment has been asked August 15 that its department is focusing on the shortage of “procedures” earlier by the Areao Department court.
Two weeks ago, Kishgan partners said in the appeal court decision in this case, which appears to end the penalty, “NCOC’s sulfur management confirms the accuracy of operations, which are performed responsibly and comply with the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and complying with the laws of the Kazakhstan.”
$ 55 billion in the Caspian Sea was already developed by delays and cost increase during the construction phase.
Kazakh officials are pushing for more income from the country’s sectors, and international arbitration has prosecuted more than $ 160 billion in losses against the project’s partners. Most of these reflect the lost revenue, but it also includes losses related to environmental violations, and Kazakhstan argues that corruption was tainted.
The NCOC is owned by Kazakhstan’s State Oil and Gas Company, which includes many high companies in the world, as well as Annie Spa, Shell PLC, Exxon Mobil Corporation and Clenerjee SE.
Annie, Shell, Exxon and Clearnerjee sent questions to the NCOC.
Last year, Venture Partners proposed to fix the sulfur case by investing additional investments in $ 110 million social projects over the next two years, which would be withdrawn from Kishgan’s income under a production sharing agreement.
The project also proposed to pay additional payment of liquid petroleum gas supply to the government and to fund a multi -million dollar social development fund.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection did not respond to repeated requests for comment and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy did not immediately comment.
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