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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent

Sanctioned Russian oligarchs allowed to invest in UK North Sea oil producer

Harbour Energy’s oil rig at sea
Harbour Energy bought Wintershall’s asset portfolio for $11.2bn (£8.5bn) in December 2023. Photograph: Garth Hannum

The government faces growing criticism after a company backed by two sanctioned Russian oligarchs was allowed to become a part-owner of the UK’s largest North Sea oil producer.

Critics of the decision to allow LetterOne, the investment company part-owned by oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, to acquire almost 15% of Aberdeen-based Harbour Energy, warned that oligarchs should have no place owning critical national assets.

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