MOSCOW, September 14 (RAPSI) – After a motion filed by Lukoil-West Siberia, Moscow’s Commercial Court has attached Lukoil as a third party in a Rosneft lawsuit against a Rosnedra decision to grant Lukoil the right to develop the onshore section of the Vostochno-Taimyrskoye oil and gas field, RIA Novosti reported from the court.

Rosneft is suing to void Rosnedra’s development permit, claiming the tender was held illegally.

In court, Rosneft attorneys objected to including Lukoil in the case, arguing that Rosneft’s lawsuit does not affect the rights and interests of Lukoil. Rosnedra argued in favor of including the third party.

On August 11, Lukoil won a tender to obtain a license for part of the Vostochno-Taimyrskoye oil and gas field near the Laptev Sea in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The oil company proposed paying 2 billion rubles ($29.8 mln) for the license.

Rosneft filed a lawsuit against Rosnedra’s decision in a commercial court. The court will hear the claim on September 14. Rosneft claims the agency breached the tender rules when determining a winner. They are suing to have the tender results be declared null and void.

The Vostochno-Taimyrskoye oil and gas field is near the Taymyr Dolgano-Nenets municipal district in the Krasnoyarsk Territory by the mouth of the Khatanga River. Last spring, Rosnedra decided to divide the area into two sections, the onshore and the offshore. This gave Lukoil an opportunity to claim the onshore section because only Gazprom and Rosneft are allowed to develop the continental shelf by law. If granted, the license will be valid for 27 years.