▁of ▁higher ▁tax es ▁in ▁the ▁U . K . ▁budget . ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁they ▁h ired ▁former ▁M I 6 ▁chief ▁John ▁Sc ar lett ▁as ▁a ▁strateg ic ▁ad visor . ▁ ▁Ch arg es ▁of ▁un eth ical ▁practices ▁in ▁Ath ab as ca ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁a ▁British ▁company ▁( E cc les iast ical ▁In vest ment ) ▁announced ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁s elling ▁their ▁st ake ▁in ▁Stato il , ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁perce ived ▁un eth ical ▁practices ▁related ▁to ▁Ath ab as ca ▁oil ▁s ands ▁projects . ▁▁ ▁Ar ctic ▁▁ ▁Ros ne ft ▁and ▁Stato il ▁made ▁an ▁Ar ctic ▁expl oration ▁deal ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁third ▁deal ▁Ros ne ft ▁had ▁signed ▁in ▁the ▁previous ▁month , ▁after ▁Ar ctic ▁expl oration ▁agre ements ▁with ▁Italy ' s ▁En i ▁and ▁US ▁giant ▁Ex x on ▁M obil . ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Stato il ▁announced ▁it ▁had ▁completed ▁a ▁ 1 2 - month ▁expl oration ▁program ▁of ▁its ▁Cast berg ▁license ▁project ▁in ▁the ▁Ar ctic ▁and ▁less - than - expected ▁res erves ▁had ▁been ▁proved ▁up . ▁Production ▁which ▁had ▁originally ▁been ▁planned ▁to ▁start ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁was ▁tempor arily ▁sh el ved ▁while ▁the ▁company ▁and ▁its ▁partners ▁re ass essed ▁the ▁vi ability ▁of ▁the ▁project ▁and ▁expl ored ▁ways