Oil Spill at Morskoye Field: Operator Fined for Attempted Cover-Up

An oil spill and subsequent soil contamination at the Morskoye oil field operated by JSC KoZhan has drawn regulatory scrutiny, reports an Orda.kz correspondent.

Joint investigations by environmental authorities and prosecutors revealed violations the company allegedly attempted to conceal.

During the investigation, the facts of unauthorized emission of pollutants and spill of oil-containing liquid were confirmed. The company did not notify the authorized bodies within the established time period. JSC 'KoZhan' admitted the violations and agreed with the decision. The company was fined 393,200 tenge, The Department of Ecology of the Atyrau Region reported.

The company faces an additional administrative charge for illegal pollutant discharge.

Authorities have forwarded evidence of the spill and contamination for further investigation.

Company Background

KoZhan, specializing in hydrocarbon exploration and production, reported assets of 126 billion tenge in 2024.

The company operates as a subsidiary of Maten Petroleum JSC, which is predominantly owned (96.7%) by SINO-SCIENCE NETHERLANDS ENERGY GROUP BV, a Chinese entity.

The remaining stake belongs to prominent Kazakhstani businessman Bakharidin Ablazimov, whose net worth Forbes estimates at 305 million dollars.

Before 2014, Maten Petroleum JSC was owned by Kazakhstani entrepreneurs Dinmukhamet Idrisov, Bakharidin Ablazimov, and Yerzhan Dostybayev.

Original Author: Daniel Arturov