RusEnergy

09.06.2005 15:36 MSK MosNews - The Russian Interior Ministry Thursday filed a criminal suit against Naryanmar Oil and Gas Company, a subsidiary of Lukoil, one of Russia's biggest oil businesses, agencies reported. The Interior Ministry department in the Nenets region in the North of Russia has revealed that Naryanmar Oil and Gas Company failed to pay more than 24.5 million rubles in taxes in 2004, the Ministry's press release says. The company's management falsified the tax declarations by submitting false VAT information, concerning its deal with the System Trade company, the report adds. With 1.3 percent of global oil reserves, Lukoil is the second largest privately-owned oil company in the world in terms of proven reserves. Lukoil produces 20 percent of the total Russian oil output and is responsible for 18 percent of total Russian oil refining. At the moment Lukoil and U.S. firm ConocoPhillips are transforming Naryanmar to set up the joint Rusco company that is expected to produce 10 million tons of oil a year by 2008.