Mol granted two‑week extension to negotiate purchase of Gazpromnyeft stake in Serbia’s NIS

The Hungarian oil group Mol received a two‑week extension from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to conclude talks with Gazpromnyeft on acquiring a controlling share of Serbia’s oil firm NIS. The new deadline is June 6, after the original May 22 cut‑off expired. Under a binding framework agreement signed on Jan. 19, Mol aims to buy 56.15% of NIS, which is presently held by Gazpromnyeft (44.9%), Gazprom (11.3%), the Serbian state (≈30%) and minority shareholders.

The negotiations are overseen by the Serbian government, led by President Aleksandar Vučić, which stresses the need for a long‑term solution that safeguards the Pancevo refinery and the country’s fuel supply. Serbian energy minister Dubravka Đedović Handanović noted that the NIS operating licence runs until June 16, allowing crude to keep flowing via the Adriatic pipeline. If a deal cannot be reached, Belgrade has indicated it may purchase the Russian stake itself. The talks occur against the backdrop of U.S. sanctions imposed on NIS in October 2025 because of its majority Russian ownership.