Liquefied petroleum gas tanks at a facility owned by Irkutsk Oil Company in the Irkutsk Region of Russia. The price caps imposed on Russia involve two price levels, $100 per barrel for more expensive fuel like diesel and $45 on lower-quality products such as fuel oil. Reuters
Liquefied petroleum gas tanks at a facility owned by Irkutsk Oil Company in the Irkutsk Region of Russia. The price caps imposed on Russia involve two price levels, $100 per barrel for more expensive fuel like diesel and $45 on lower-quality products such as fuel oil. Reuters
Liquefied petroleum gas tanks at a facility owned by Irkutsk Oil Company in the Irkutsk Region of Russia. The price caps imposed on Russia involve two price levels, $100 per barrel for more expensive fuel like diesel and $45 on lower-quality products such as fuel oil. Reuters
Liquefied petroleum gas tanks at a facility owned by Irkutsk Oil Company in the Irkutsk Region of Russia. The price caps imposed on Russia involve two price levels, $100 per barrel for more expensive

EU, G7 and Australia agree price caps on Russian petroleum exports


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EU member states, the Group of Seven industrialised countries and Australia said on Friday that they have reached an agreement on price caps for Russian petroleum products.

The move is the latest part of an international push to limit Russian President Vladimir Putin's war chest for his military offensive on Ukraine.

The caps involve two price levels, $100 per barrel for more expensive fuel like diesel and $45 on lower-quality products such as fuel oil, according to officials.

Sweden, which holds the rotating EU presidency, called it an "important agreement as part of the continued response by EU and partners to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine".

The EU in December imposed an embargo on Russian crude oil coming in by sea and — together with its G7 partners — set a $60-dollar-per-barrel cap for exports around the world.

The second embargo, on Russian fuel, is set to come into force on Sunday or soon after. It targets Russian refined oil products such as petrol, diesel and heating fuel, arriving on ships.

At the same time, the EU and the G7 group of wealthy democracies have also agreed to impose a price cap on Russian shipments of those products to global markets.

The G7 and Australia statement added that the price cap coalition will undertake a review of the crude oil cap in March.

The price caps on those transported products work by establishing a ceiling for the cost of fuel that can be transported on ships. The caps agreed were in line with a proposal from the European Commission, the EU's executive arm.

It had to balance tough demands from sanction hawks, such as Poland and Baltic nations, against the need to ensure the West does not cut off Russian supplies to world markets entirely, which would send global prices soaring.

EU diplomats called the agreed price levels "well-balanced" and hitting the goal to "reduce Russia's income while guaranteeing access for third countries".

In a separate statement, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen applauded the latest decision and said it built on earlier efforts.

"The caps we have just set will now serve a critical role in our global coalition's work... we are forcing Putin to choose between funding his brutal war or propping up his struggling economy," she said.

The Kremlin lashed out at the EU ahead of the embargo coming into force, insisting it will "lead to a further imbalance of the international energy markets".

"We are taking measures to hedge our interests against the risks associated," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Moscow's war in Ukraine has provided a harsh wake-up call for the EU, which for years had been reliant on cheap fossil fuels from Russia to power its industries.

Brussels says the embargo on crude oil has seen the bloc cut out some 90 percent of Russian imports, after exceptions were granted for supplies flowing by pipeline to landlocked countries like Hungary.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday estimated during a visit to Kyiv that the existing price cap on Russian oil was already costing Moscow around €160 million ($175 million) every day.

On Friday, she said the bloc was readying a new round of sanctions against Russia — its 10th package since the war started a year ago.

"We must continue to deprive Russia of the means to wage war against Ukraine," she said, also highlighting the EU's import ban on Russian petroleum products from Sunday.

"With the G7 we are putting price caps on these products, cutting Russia's revenue while ensuring stable global energy markets," she said.

Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company

The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.

He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.

“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.

“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.

HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon. 

With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

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Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

Updated: February 04, 2023, 10:59 AM