据熟悉此事的人士透露，埃克森美孚控股公司（ExxonMobil Holdings Corp.）阻止了哈萨克斯坦卡沙甘（Kashagan）油田合作伙伴就一笔备受争议的50亿美元环境罚款与政府达成和解的提议。
Holdings Corp. blocked a proposal for partners in the Kashagan oil field in Kazakhstan to make a settlement with the government over a disputed $5 billion environmental fine, according to people familiar with the matter.
此后，这笔罚款的处置问题成为埃克森美孚与哈萨克斯坦就扩大卡沙甘油田产量提议进行谈判的关键议题。这家美国公司告知政府，对该油田可能进行的800亿美元新投资将取决于该争议的解决。
The status of that penalty subsequently became a key part of ExxonMobil’s negotiations with Kazakhstan on a proposal to expand production at Kashagan. The US company has told the government that a potential $80 billion new investment in the field would be contingent on settling the dispute.
自2022年该罚款被处以以来，包括壳牌（Shell Plc）、道达尔能源（TotalEnergies SE）和埃尼（Eni SpA）在内的卡沙甘巨型油田主要石油公司，已就这一长期存在争议的2.356万亿坚戈（约合52亿美元）罚款探讨了多种和解方案，该罚款与油田的硫磺储存问题相关。
Since the fine was imposed in 2022, the oil majors behind the giant Kashagan field, which also include Shell Plc, TotalEnergies SE and Eni SpA, have discussed a variety of settlements for the long-contested 2.356 trillion-tenge ($5.2 billion), which is related to sulfur storage at the field.
哈萨克斯坦国有公司KazMunayGas National Co. JSC也是该项目的合作伙伴。日本Inpex Corp.和中国国家石油公司（CNPC）则持有少数股权。
State-run KazMunayGas National Co. JSC is also a partner in the venture. Inpex Corp. and China National Petroleum Corp. have minority stakes.
据上述不愿透露姓名的人士称，埃克森美孚并不支持最新的和解提议，并随后说服了此前持中立立场的道达尔能源站到其一边。这两家公司的反对足以阻止和解协议的达成。
ExxonMobil wasn’t in favor of the most recent proposal and subsequently persuaded TotalEnergies, which had been neutral, over to its side, the people said, asking not to be named as the discussions were not public. Opposition from the two companies was enough to block a settlement, the people said.
埃克森美孚、道达尔能源、KazMunayGas、壳牌和Inpex均拒绝置评。埃尼、CNPC以及负责运营该项目的合资公司北里海运营公司（North Caspian Operating Co.）也未回应置评请求。
ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, KazMunayGas, Shell and Inpex declined to comment. Eni, CNPC and the North Caspian Operating Co., the joint venture that runs the project, didn’t respond to requests for comment.
经过数年的法律纠纷，阿特劳（Atyrau）的一家法院于6月19日的一项裁决中维持了该环境罚款。哈萨克斯坦司法部7月份表示，已启动追缴该罚款的程序。当时，据知情人士向彭博社透露，KazMunayGas已决定支付其应缴的罚款部分。
After several years of legal wrangling, an Atyrau-based court upheld the environmental penalty in a ruling on June 19. Kazakhstan’s Justice Ministry said in July that it had started the process to collect the fine. KazMunayGas has decided to pay its part of the fine, people told Bloomberg at the time.
这两家公司仍在两起国际仲裁中继续就罚款问题展开争议。NCOC在7月23日的一份声明中表示，“我们认为这笔硫磺罚款毫无根据，并将通过一切可用手段进行抗辩。”
The companies continue to dispute the penalty in a pair of international arbitrations. NCOC “consider the sulfur fine to be without any basis and are contesting it by all available means,” according to a statement on July 23.
除了这场旷日持久的分歧之外，埃克森美孚还提出了一项价值数十亿美元的新投资计划，旨在与哈萨克斯坦国家石油公司（KazMunayGas）成立合资企业，开发卡沙甘油田中尚未开发的区域。在与哈萨克斯坦官员的会谈中，这家美国石油巨头将这一潜在开发项目与解决卡沙甘项目合作伙伴与政府之间的争端（包括硫磺罚款问题）挂钩。
Alongside this long-running disagreement, ExxonMobil has been pitching a new multibillion dollar investment to tap an undeveloped part of Kashagan in a joint venture with KazMunayGas. In talks with Kazakh officials, the US oil major has linked this potential development to the resolution of disputes between the Kashagan partners and the government, including the sulfur fine.