MOSCOW, June 5 (RAPSI) – The Moscow Commercial Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Rosneft subsidiary Verkhnechonskneftegaz (VCNG) against Russia’s Energy Ministry and the Federal Agency for Mineral Resources (Rosnedra) over oil production reports, RAPSI reported on Friday from the courtroom.

In January 2015, VCNG, which has a production license for the Verkhnechonskoye oil field in Siberia, requested that the above two agencies confirm its production volume and the physical and chemical properties of the oil produced from November 2011 to May 2013. 

The Energy Ministry and Rosnedra refused to do so, saying that the time limit for filing the request had expired. 

VCNG needs the two agencies to confirm the production volumes and the properties of the oil in order to request a customs duty refund, which can be only done within three years of a claimed duty overpayment. The refusal by the Energy Ministry and Rosnedra to comply with the request ignores the rights and legitimate interests of the concerned parties, Rosneft said.

The Energy Ministry and Rosnedra argue that reduced customs duties were cancelled on May 26, 2013, and that they cannot apply an expired law now. They also said that VCNG failed to file its request within the 10-day period as stipulated by law. 

VCNG filed a request to confirm oil production volumes in January 2015, whereas the deadline is the 10th day of the following month.