Sanctions, money-laundering and supply chains top agenda for energy sector compliance
By 
Ruth Prickett2025-11-03T19:09:00
The energy sector has seen a huge rise in regulatory activity – both new rules and more enforcement – over the past few years. Financial compliance risks such as bribery and corruption are perennial issues in a sector with complex supply chains and operations in traditionally difficult regions. But sanctions are the issue currently dominating the news, creating rapid change and constant demands on compliance officers.
Trading in Russian oil and gas is now severely circumscribed by sanctions imposed by the U.S., EU, and U.K., adding to the restrictions long placed on Iranian oil exports. Furthermore, concern about the Russian “shadow fleet” of tankers and derivative products produced by third parties, such as India, which use Russian oil, adds complexity to supply chains.
On Oct. 16, EU MEPs backed plans to ban imports of Russian natural gas from Jan 1, 2026. They also plan to ban imports of Russian oil and “products originating from Russian crude oil”. To prevent circumvention, they intend to mandate origin certification for “oil pipelines, quarterly audits, and a list of high-risk LNG terminals”.
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