London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Exclusive: Exxon exits Russia empty-handed with oil project 'unilaterally terminated'

Exclusive: Exxon exits Russia empty-handed with oil project 'unilaterally terminated'

Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) said on Monday that it left Russia completely after President Vladimir Putin expropriated its properties following seven months of discussions over an orderly transfer of its 30% stake in a major oil project.

Exxon did not say if it received any compensation for the assets, which it had valued at more than $4 billion. An Exxon spokesperson declined to comment on whether it will proceed to contest the seizure through an international arbitration process, a possibility flagged in August.

Its departure illustrates the clash between the West and Russia over energy following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in late February and threats of using nuclear weapons against the country and its supporters. BP, TotalEnergies, Equinor, and Shell have all transferred properties to Russian partners or left operations behind.

"We made every effort to engage with the Russian government and other stakeholders," the Exxon spokesperson said.

The company said it "safely exited" Russia after the government earlier this month "unilaterally terminated" its interests in the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project, its largest in the country.

Exxon has been trying to relinquish operation of Sakhalin-1 since March 1, when it announced it would abandon all of its more than $4 billion in assets, leaving open the possibility to sell Sakhalin-1. It said it would "closely coordinate" the transfer of operation with its partners - Russian company Rosneft (ROSN.MM), India's ONGC Videsh (ONVI.NS) and Japan's SODECO to ensure it would be done in a secure way.

In April, Exxon disclosed a $3.4 billion write down on the Russia exit and this month signaled a third-quarter $600 million impairment charge for unidentified assets. Exxon had valued its Russia holdings at more than $4 billion.

On Oct. 7 Putin seized Exxon shares in the oil production joint venture and transferred them to a government-controlled company. In August, Putin had signed a first decree that Exxon said made a secure and environmentally safe exit from Sakhalin-1 difficult. The U.S. producer reacted to August's decree by issuing a "note of difference," a legal step before arbitration.

The harsh language of Exxon's formal exit shows a desired outcome for Exxon - leaving Russia - but in unamicable terms that could translate in multi-year legal disputes, starting with arbitration in European courts.

PHASING OUT


Exxon has been reducing its presence in Russia since 2014, following sanctions against Moscow after it annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine.

The U.S. company had removed earlier this year its expatriate workers and closed its lubricant and chemical businesses in Russia. By July, output at the Sakhalin-1 project fell 10,000 barrels per day (bpd), from 220,000 bpd before Russia invaded Ukraine.

The volume was just enough to provide natural gas to keep the lights on in the Russian cites of Khabarovsk and Vladivostok. About 700 Russia-based employees that kept operations running will be transferred to the new Russia company taking over the asset, Exxon said.

"We are thankful for the professionalism, expertise and commitment demonstrated by ENL’s employees during these difficult circumstances," the Exxon spokesperson said.

Exxon had pledged to take its time and provide for a safe transfer to a new operator to avoid spills, environmental accidents or shutting down the lights of cities supplied by the project.

Russian terms blocked it from transferring operations or negotiating a potential sale to Indian or Japanese partners, which indicated interest in keeping Sakhalin-1's supply.

India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp plans to take a stake in the new Russian entity that will manage the Sakhalin-1 project as it seeks to retain a 20% share in the asset, three sources familiar with the matter said.

Japan will decide what to do about the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project in Russia's Far East in consultation with its partners as it reviews details of a decree by Moscow, Industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said last week.

According to Putin's Oct. 7 decree, Sakhalin-1's foreign partners will have one month after the new Russian company is created to ask the Russian government for shares in the new entity.

Equinor last month agreed to sell Russian assets value at $1 billion for 1 euro. The formal sale allowed Norway's Equinor to forgo future liabilities and investment commitments. On Friday, Danone also sold its assets but kept a minority stake.

Comments

Oh ya 3 year ago
Gee now Exxon maybe knows how it feels to have your stuff taken the same as all those yachts and 300 billion in FX reserves that the US are stealing. I am sure Russia will put those resources to go use as Europe freezes in the dark. Europe might learn someday it is not good to be a US lapdog

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×