The US has again extended the deadline for the sale of Russian energy firm Lukoil's overseas assets, giving parties another month to negotiate a deal.

A new US Treasury licence has extended the deadline for the potential sale of Lukoil's overseas assets until August 22, 2026, according to a document issued last week by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The licence also allows transactions needed to maintain or wind down the operations of LIG entities during the same period.

However, any sale remains subject to separate OFAC approval, meaning the licence does not authorize the completion of a transaction.

General License 131H replaces General License 131G, which had been due to expire on July 24.

The latest extension indicates the sale process is still ongoing, with US authorities allowing more time for negotiations while keeping sanctions restrictions in place. That matters for counterparties and customers tied to Lukoil-linked operations, because the licence is structured to permit limited continuity work while leaving the wider sanctions framework unchanged.

The licence continues to prohibit transfers of funds to accounts in Russia and does not lift broader sanctions on Lukoil or other blocked entities.

Lukoil's international assets of interest to the bunker industry include Lukoil Bulgaria, a key supplier of marine fuel in the Black Sea.