D.C. federal court concludes that oil companies can't sue Kazakhstan for $180 million

AKIPRESS.COM - Turan Petroleum Inc., a Delaware oil exploration company, can't sue Kazakhstan for terminating projects to develop two Kazakh oilfields in which profits were expected to exceed $150 million after a D.C. federal court concluded on April 29.
The $180-million lawsuit against the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan was filed in December 2010 by Turan Petroleum, Inc. (Delaware), Energyfund, Inc. (Columbia) and Trustees for Trek Resources, Inc. (Nevada) for terminating projects to develop Arys and Aral oilfields in Kazakhstan.
The companies cannot sue Kazakhstan because of the lack of jurisdiction based on the US Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.