Russia: The Kremlin Puts LUKoil Under Pressure

Russia's natural resources watchdog agency threatened Oct. 13 to revoke 20 of private Russian oil firm LUKoil's production licenses in the Western Siberian regions of Komi and Khanty-Mansi, saying LUKoil has committed numerous environmental safety violations there. Though it previously targeted foreign energy companies, the Kremlin's most recent campaign is taking aim at domestic producers. The move against LUKoil is a warning, as no final decisions have been made, but the company is facing considerable pressure to follow Moscow's policies.