Economics
Sanctions-Proof Oil Rig Thwarts U.S. Policy From Cuba to Russia
- Eni and Rosneft start drilling for deepwater Black Sea oil
- Exxon request for waiver to drill nearby was rejected by U.S.
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The oil rig was built mostly in China and drilled its first well in Cuba. Now it’s delivering a victory for Russia in its fight against U.S. sanctions.
Italian oil giant Eni SpA and Russia’s state-controlled Rosneft PJSC are using the Scarabeo 9 ultra-deepwater rig to drill in water more than 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) deep in the Black Sea. It’s the first well drilled by a western company at a Russian oil project that falls squarely under U.S. sanctions imposed on the sector in 2014.