RulesIn force
Subsoil damage assessment rules (hydrocarbons)
On approval of the Rules for determining the amount of damage caused by violation of the requirements for rational and integrated use of subsoil in hydrocarbon exploration and production
The English title is an unofficial translation.
Set how the Ministry of Energy calculates the damage to the State when a subsoil user breaches rational and integrated subsoil-use requirements in hydrocarbon exploration and production: damage equals actual hydrocarbon losses above normative losses, valued at average official price quotations for the reporting period.
What matters for an oil & gas company
- Normative losses are technological losses justified in project documents and flaring volumes set in a flaring permit; only losses above these levels count as damage.
- Examples of above-norm losses: reserves left in the subsoil or written off prematurely, losses from flooding or cross-flows caused by breaching the development regime, and losses in field production, gathering, transport and treatment.
- Damage is determined on detection or on information from subsoil users and state bodies; disputes are resolved under the Civil Code and the Administrative Procedural and Process Code.
The summaries are for orientation and are not legal advice. Only the official text is legally binding. Checked in September 2026.