U.S. court allows Crystallex to advance in case against refiner Citgo                                     A U.S. appeals court on Monday ruled that Canadian gold mining company Crystallex can move ahead with efforts to seize shares in oil refining firm Citgo as part of a dispute with Venezuela, Citgo’s ultimate owner.

Crystallex International Corp had won a $1.4 billion judgment for expropriation of its assets under late socialist leader Hugo Chavez, and later won court rulings in the United States allowing it to auction Citgo shares for compensation.

The decision by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a decision by a lower court that had put a stay, or a temporary halt, on the sale of Citgo shares at the request of Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA.

“The foregoing motion to lift the stay of the District Court proceedings is granted,” wrote judge Thomas L. Ambro.

Crystallex declined comment.

Allies of Juan Guaido, the head of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled National Assembly, have repeatedly vowed to prevent Citgo from falling into the hands of creditors.