The Kyiv Economic Court of Appeals on December 17 rejected the appeal by Golden Derrick, thereby returning a 30% stake in one of the three major sites of Sakhalynske gas field to Nadra Ukrainy, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has said.

"It remains to defend our interests on the third deposit, where the stake of the state-owned company is 35%. A court hearing on the last complaint is scheduled for January 14," reads the report citing minister Ihor Shevchenko.

He noted that in 2000 and 2003 Nadra Ukrainy signed contracts with three companies on joint activities on this field, but in 2012-2013 sold to Golden Derrick its stakes in three deposits for slightly more than UAH 20 million. The buyer did not pay on these contracts and that allowed to break the agreements and return these assets to Nadra Ukrainy, the minister explained.

He said that during the first litigation, finally won by Nadra Ukrainy, after the decision of the court of appeals on December 10 the matter concerned a share of 24%.