Throughout January to September 2005, Ural Federal District Subsoil Resources Agency has annulled 40 licenses previously issued to businesses dealing in natural resources due to a number of reasons.

According to Uralnedra (Ural Subsoil Resources), most licenses are being cancelled because they have already expired, because the extracting projects have been completed, or following the company’s rejection of the license renewal. A minor part of licenses is cancelled for reasons of contract violation by the company.