The higher business court of Ukraine on February 17, 2015 confirmed the rulings of courts of lower instances on returning a 24% stake to NJSC Nadra Ukrainy under one of the joint operation agreements on gas production at the Sakhalynske gas field in Kharkiv region, the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry's press service said.

In 2000 and 2003 Nadra Ukrainy concluded some joint operation agreements on the Sakhalynske gas field. In 2012 and 2013, the company's former top management sold Golden Derrick LLC its stakes (24%, 30% and 35%) under three agreements worth around UAH 20 million. Golden Derrick hasn't fully paid for any of the agreements, which allowed for the revocation of the agreements and the return of the assets to state ownership.

During litigation, the Kyiv court of appeals passed rulings on the three agreements in favor of the state-owned company.

"Golden Derrick lodged a claim with the higher business court then. Yet, our victory in court today gives us the reason to believe that we will succeed in other two similar cases. At the court hearings were also attended by representatives of the General Prosecutor's Office, who fully supported the ministry's position," the press service quotes Environment Minister Ihor Shevchenko as saying.

Sakhalynske field's gas reserves (proven and probable) were estimated at 15 billion cubic meters of natural gas, about 1.7 million tonnes of gas condensate and 1.7 million tonnes of crude oil.