General License 131G

OFAC issued General License 131G on 25 June 2026, the seventh consecutive monthly extension authorising Lukoil International GmbH (LIG) to negotiate the divestiture of its stake in the ISAB Priolo refinery in Sicily. The licence runs until 25 July 2026, succeeding GL 131F which lapsed on 28 June.

GL 131G authorises negotiation only. A separate OFAC transaction licence, which has never been issued, is still required to complete the sale itself. Lukoil has faced US and EU sanctions pressure to divest ISAB Priolo since early 2025, but finding a buyer willing to absorb the Russian ownership-transfer risk has remained difficult. Each monthly extension has maintained operational continuity under the general licence framework while sale talks continue.

The pattern of consecutive single-month renewals signals that OFAC is managing the divestiture timeline incrementally rather than granting a multi-month block authorisation. Sibling licences GL 134B and GL 134C govern parallel Lukoil-linked divestiture processes elsewhere. Without a completed sale, ISAB Priolo continues under special administration, and the general licence remains the operative legal instrument for ongoing negotiations.