Photo from UNIAN
The Supreme Administrative Court of Ukraine upheld the decision of the lower court regarding the denial of right to use 19 subsoil areas with oil and gas deposits for Golden Derrick company, which is associated with the former energy minister Eduard Stavytskiy.
"On July 8, 2015, the State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources of Ukraine finally won a high profile case in the Supreme Administrative Court against Golden Derrick company on revoking the company’s right to use subsoil areas with oil, natural and shale gas deposits. Thus, 19 fields with oil and gas deposits, which Golden Derrick obtained in 2010-2012, have been returned to the state," according to the press service of the state service.
As UNIAN reported, Ukrainian ex-minister of ecology and natural resources Ihor Shevchenko stated that the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources revoked 19 out of 20 licenses for deposits development and intended to put them up for a repeated auction.
In March 2014, during inspection of the State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources of Ukraine, General Prosecutor's Office canceled the order granting Golden Derrick special permits to use 16 subsoil areas and revoked three special permits. Later, Golden Derrick made several appeals, but the final decision was made in favor of the State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources, with no right to appeal.