A Kazakh court has dismissed a lawsuit by the operator of Kazakhstan's offshore Kashagan oilfield that sought to overturn a decision to begin enforcement actions to collect an environmental fine of around $5 billion, Russia's Interfax news agency reported on Monday.
The North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC) has been mired in a lengthy legal standoff with the Kazakh Government, which accuses it of environmental violations related to sulphur storage and imposed the large fine.
In July, Kazakhstan's justice ministry warned NCOC's managing director of "administrative and criminal liability for non-compliance."
NCOC, which includes Shell, Eni, TotalEnergies and Exxon Mobil, and its contractors reject the fine and the allegations behind it, and the case is currently being heard in international arbitration.
In early September, Kazakhstan's Justice Ministry said enforcement proceedings had been temporarily suspended, but that it still intended to collect the fine.
Kashagan is one of Kazakhstan's largest oilfields.
(Reporting by Reuters, Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Gleb Bryanski)