The United States has extended the deadline for companies interested in acquiring international assets from Russian oil company Lukoil, allowing negotiations to continue until June 27, according to the US Treasury Department.
The decision effectively gives potential buyers an additional month to engage in talks over Lukoil’s foreign portfolio, which has been placed under pressure following US sanctions introduced last October against both Lukoil and Rosneft over their links to Russia’s war financing.
Since the sanctions were imposed, Washington has repeatedly prolonged the authorization window for negotiations, marking roughly six extensions in total. The current measures have forced Lukoil to prepare for the sale of its international operations, estimated at around USD22 billion and spanning assets such as oil fields, refineries, and fuel stations across multiple countries, from the Middle East to Northern Europe.
Market interest in the portfolio has reportedly come from more than a dozen potential buyers, including major energy firms such as ExxonMobil, alongside a range of other investors.
Any eventual transaction is subject to strict conditions. Lukoil is not permitted to receive direct upfront payments, with all proceeds required to be deposited into a frozen account controlled under US jurisdiction.
