The NSTA's statement indicated that this fine is the highest the authority has imposed to date for releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere without permission.

Campaign group Uplift is challenging the approval of the project, arguing that the Energy Secretary failed to demonstrate how Rosebank aligns with the government's net-zero plan for 2050.

Repsol had short-term flare and vent consents in place since January 2019. However, the NSTA notified Repsol in July 2022 that no valid consents were in place for the mentioned fields, leading to the imposition of the fine.

The focal points of this legal action are Equinor's Breidablikk and Aker BP's Yggdrasil and Tyrving fields, boasting a combined reserve of approximately 875 million barrels of oil equivalent.

This decision follows legal proceedings initiated by a traditional landowner seeking to halt the pipeline works until a thorough assessment of its impact and risks to underwater cultural heritage is conducted.

The claim, brought before London's High Court, represents one of the largest legal threats in Greenpeace's more than 50-year history, according to the organization.

A leaked document revealed the re-inclusion of the controversial pipeline, sparking renewed criticisms and debates around the project's legitimacy and ethical considerations.

The complaint lodged against the energy giant accuses it of failing to ensure the safety of subcontractors during the crisis.

The legal dispute arose when Gulf Island Shipyards sued Hornbeck Offshore in 2018, alleging wrongful termination of two shipyard construction contracts related to the final two vessels in Hornbeck's fifth offshore support vessel (OSV) newbuild program.

An arbitration tribunal has ruled in favor of South Korean company Hanwha Ocean in a drillship order cancellation case involving Northern Drilling, an offshore drilling contractor owned by billionaire John Fredriksen.