COMMERCE FINES PETROLEUM SHIPPER FOR ILLEGAL EXPORTS

COMMERCE FINES PETROLEUM SHIPPER FOR ILLEGAL EXPORTS    The U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security has imposed a civil penalty of $508,000 against EOTT Energy Operating Ltd. Partnership of Houston for exceeding the legal limit of its crude petroleum exports to Canada.
   The agency alleges that on 14 occasions between January 1997 and February 1999 EOTT shipped crude petroleum from the United States to Canada in amounts that exceeded its export licenses. BIS further alleges that EOTT falsely insisted on 46 shipper’s export declarations that its shipments were within the legal limits of its export licenses.
   The Commerce Department controls the export of crude petroleum to any foreign destination to protect the domestic supply.
   While EOTT voluntarily disclosed the violations to BIS, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement Michael J. Garcia said this is the second action against EOTT for exporting oil without proper authorization. This continued non-compliance warranted the significant penalty, Garcia said.