Kashagan operator fined $1.3 million for ecological violations

North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC) was fined 200 million tenge ($1.3 million) for ecological violations, KazTAG reports citing head of department of Prosecution Office Alan Tlenchiyev. “The Prosecution Office's inspection discovered this year that North Caspian Operating Company violated the law again by operating without specific ecological permits,” Tlenchiyev said during a meeting in the Ministry of Environmental Protection on Friday. He told that “ecology department is claiming compensation of damage to environment in the total amount of 486 million tenge ($3.2 million) plus a penalty in amount of almost 200 million tenge ($3.2 million).” The representative of the Prosecution Office reminded that NCOC's emissions permits were suspended last year after a series of inspections. North Caspian Operating Company started working in Kashagan field in January 2009. The consortium developing the field comprises Eni, Shell, ExxonMobil, Total and KazMunaiGaz (16.81% each) as well as ConocoPhillips (8.4%) and Japan's Inpex (7.56%).