ALMATY (AFP)--Kazakhstan's government Monday threatened U.S. oil major Chevron (CVX) with a fine equivalent to $309 million for alleged environmental violations, the Interfax news agency reported.
Kazakh Environment Minister Nurlan Iskakov said in a report an "administrative fine of 37 billion tenges" could be imposed on the U.S. energy giant in a speech before parliament.
Chevron controls 50% of TengizChevroil which is developing the Tengiz oil field in the west of Kazakhstan.
The Kazakh government accused Chevron of violations related to its storage of sulfur. Chevron was fined last December for similar offenses.
The Tengiz field is among the three biggest energy projects being developed with foreign partners in ex-Soviet Kazakhstan. The field supplies oil to the West by a pipeline through Russia and has been involved in a major expansion in recent years.