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CORRECTED-Gazprom's legal fights with European business

Russian energy giant Gazprom faces various legal battles with European purchasers and transmitters of Russian gas, as an outcome of the political fallout following the Kremlin's decision to send its soldiers into Ukraine in 2022.

Gazprom has actually launched procedures at Russia's St Petersburg and Leningrad Area Arbitration Court, threatening the European companies with fines if they continue lawsuits outside Russia. Nevertheless, some European business have actually stated that did not acknowledge the court's authority.

Following are numerous essential legal cases:

RUSSIAN COURT PROCEDURES * Gazprom in March 2024 lodged a claim of more than $900. million versus Polish companies in a St Petersburg court.

Gazprom is seeking settlement of $710 million and 886.4. million zlotys ($ 224.70 million) from Europol GAZ SA, Orlen SA,. Ernst and Young Global Ltd, and Ernst and Young sp z oo. Corporate Financing. * A Russian court said in March 2024 Czech firm Net4Gas( N4G). would need to pay a fine of around 112.96 million euros ($ 122.7. million) unless it drops a claim against Gazprom over missed. payments. * In November 2023, the very same court said Poland's Europol Gaz. will have to pay a fine of around $1.57 billion if it continues. to pursue a 6 billion zloty ($ 1.51 billion) lawsuit versus. Gazprom in Sweden. * Gazprom has actually lodged similar claims with the court against. German's Uniper Global Commodities SE and Metha-Methanhandel. GmbH, Dutch Gasunie Transport Service, Ukraine's Naftogas and. Poland's Orlen. * In November 2023, the Russian court bought the seizure of 13. ISO containers for liquid helium owned by Linde and put. them under the control of RusKhimAlyans, a subsidiary of. Gazprom.

The court had previously ordered nearly $500 million of. assets belonging to Linde to be frozen at the demand of the. joint venture.

Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank in. October won an injunction in London stopping RusKhimAlyans from. suing the loan providers in Russia over the aborted gas project. * In July 2023, Alexei Miller, the head of Gazprom, threatened. sanctions versus Ukraine's Naftogaz in the middle of legal rows, stating the. Kyiv-based energy company was not constructive in managing. Russian gas transit to Europe.

INTERNATIONAL LITIGATIONS. * German energy Uniper stated in June 2024 it had. decided to terminate its gas supply agreements with Gazprom after. an arbitration court in Stockholm ruled in favour of the German. business, awarding it 13 billion euros ($ 13.96 billion) of. compensation for damages for the gas not provided by Gazprom. since mid-2022. * The owner of the Polish section of the Yamal gas pipeline,. Europol Gaz was pursuing a claim of about 6 billion zlotys. ($ 1.45 billion) against Gazprom, according to Poland's State. Properties Minister in May 2023. * Net4Gas has decided to start arbitration procedures versus. a significant Russian gas supplier over missed out on payments in April 2023. Net4Gas did not recognize the supplier, but a federal government minister. in January that year stated that the Czech company did not get. payments from Russia's Gazprom. * Czech utility CEZ initiated global. arbitration in Geneva against Gazprom in early 2023 looking for. compensation for lower-than-contracted gas delivery. * French business Engie introduced arbitration procedures against. Gazprom in February 2023 claiming the Russian company had failed. to meet its gas supply commitments. * German utility Uniper released an arbitration procedure in. November 2022 in the hope of securing billions of euros in. settlement from Russia's Gazprom over undelivered gas volumes.

Engie likewise began arbitration in Stockholm over gas prices. in January 2022, while Gazprom released a counterclaim in April. that year. Hearings had been set up for March 18-23 2024. * Polish business PGNiG (now PKN Orlen) released arbitration in. March 2022 over payments for gas. * German energy company RWE started arbitration. procedures versus Gazprom in November 2022 over missing gas. shipments. * Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz introduced arbitration. proceedings in September 2022 against Gazprom over Russian. gas transit to Europe.

Naftogaz stated in June 2023, it had taken legal action in. the United States versus Russia to recuperate $5 billion awarded. in the Hague as payment for damages and lost home in. Crimea. * Italy's Eni began arbitration in May 2022 over. Russia's need to spend for gas exports utilizing the rouble. Hearings are because of happen in May 2024. * Finland's state-owned energy supplier Gasum in May 2022 said. it would take its conflict over rouble payments with Gazprom. Export to arbitration procedures.

Gazprom Export stated in November 2022 an arbitration court in. Stockholm had ruled that Gasum needs to pay Gazprom more than 300. million euros ($ 326.82 million) for gas supplies after stopping working. to stay with its take-or-pay commitments.

Gasum stated the tribunal had actually ruled it was not bound to. pay Russian gas provider Gazprom in roubles. ($ 1 = 0.9314 euros)

(source: Reuters)