Lawsuit over disclosure of Caspian oil agreements not accepted by courts
25 April 2025 - The Judicial Board for Administrative Cases of the Astana City Court has rejected an appeal from the founder of the Save the Caspian Sea movement regarding a lawsuit filed earlier this year. The lawsuit sought the disclosure of the environmental requirements outlined in the production sharing agreements (PSAs) and a concession agreement for the Karachaganak, Kashagan, and Tengiz oil and gas fields.
"The decision of the appellate instance is yet another violation of our access to justice. It is obvious that the situation in the Caspian Sea has reached a critical point, and, as the rightful owners of the country's natural resources, we have the right to know who is benefiting from their extraction and on what terms. We are not going to give up and will continue to fight, because we cannot afford to lose the Caspian Sea," commented Vadim Ni, founder of the Save the Caspian Sea movement.
Notably, just last week, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) released an investigation into a classified arbitration case between the Kazakh government and the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC), the consortium of oil companies developing the Kashagan field.
In their investigation, the journalists reveal that: ‘Kazakhstan is claiming that a group of international oil companies has been taking a staggering 98% of oil revenue, after modest royalty payments, from the country’s massive Kashagan oil field.” This came to light through a confidential interim ruling in the $160 billion arbitration case, which the journalists could access. This document also shows that such an unequal distribution of revenue stems from the production sharing agreement. The full investigation can be found here.
Vadim Ni: "The information disclosed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists once again proves that the secrecy surrounding the production sharing agreements benefits only one party - international oil and gas companies. These agreements were signed in the early days of Kazakhstan's independence, and only now we are gradually uncovering the truth about the unfair distribution of benefits and responsibilities they entail. The current situation with these agreements must be addressed; we can no longer turn a blind eye to this issue.”
About the Movement:
The global movement “Save the Caspian Sea” fights to preserve the unique ecosystem of the Caspian Sea by demanding accountability, transparency, and environmental responsibility from corporations. The movement joins forces with environmental organisations, local communities, governments, and representatives of various industries to address pressing environmental issues in the Caspian Sea, including pollution and habitat loss.
Media information:
For interview requests and more information, please contact media@savethecaspiansea.com.
25 April 2025 - The Judicial Board for Administrative Cases of the Astana City Court has rejected an appeal from the founder of the Save the Caspian Sea movement regarding a lawsuit filed earlier this year. The lawsuit sought the disclosure of the environmental requirements outlined in the production sharing agreements (PSAs) and a concession agreement for the Karachaganak, Kashagan, and Tengiz oil and gas fields.
"The decision of the appellate instance is yet another violation of our access to justice. It is obvious that the situation in the Caspian Sea has reached a critical point, and, as the rightful owners of the country's natural resources, we have the right to know who is benefiting from their extraction and on what terms. We are not going to give up and will continue to fight, because we cannot afford to lose the Caspian Sea," commented Vadim Ni, founder of the Save the Caspian Sea movement.
Notably, just last week, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) released an investigation into a classified arbitration case between the Kazakh government and the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC), the consortium of oil companies developing the Kashagan field.
In their investigation, the journalists reveal that: ‘Kazakhstan is claiming that a group of international oil companies has been taking a staggering 98% of oil revenue, after modest royalty payments, from the country’s massive Kashagan oil field.” This came to light through a confidential interim ruling in the $160 billion arbitration case, which the journalists could access. This document also shows that such an unequal distribution of revenue stems from the production sharing agreement. The full investigation can be found here.
Vadim Ni: "The information disclosed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists once again proves that the secrecy surrounding the production sharing agreements benefits only one party - international oil and gas companies. These agreements were signed in the early days of Kazakhstan's independence, and only now we are gradually uncovering the truth about the unfair distribution of benefits and responsibilities they entail. The current situation with these agreements must be addressed; we can no longer turn a blind eye to this issue.”
About the Movement:
The global movement “Save the Caspian Sea” fights to preserve the unique ecosystem of the Caspian Sea by demanding accountability, transparency, and environmental responsibility from corporations. The movement joins forces with environmental organisations, local communities, governments, and representatives of various industries to address pressing environmental issues in the Caspian Sea, including pollution and habitat loss.
Media information:
For interview requests and more information, please contact media@savethecaspiansea.com.
