UK refinery owner extends credit facility with arm of oil firm part-owned by Russian who is under sanctions. Stanlow operator Essar stopped all imports of Russian fuel in 2022 but has arrangement with Litasco. The Stanlow refinery is owned and operated by British company Essar Oil. Essar Oil UK is part of India’s Essar Group. In 2022, after a series of protests by unionized dock workers who refused to unload Russian oil, the company stopped all imports of Russian fuel. But according to The Guardian, the company has provided a line of credit to Litasco, the oil trading arm of Moscow-based Lukoil, Russia’s second-largest oil company. Litasco itself is not subject to sanctions. According to financial statements, Essar Oil (UK) – part of the Essar Group, owned by the Indian billionaire Ruia brothers – has an “extended payment agreement” with Litasco worth $500 million (£393 million) for crude oil. We also know from open sources that Litasco has the ability to claim control over Stanlow Terminals Ltd. if financial obligations are not met, which creates a potential risk to control this critical infrastructure facility.