Three of the largest international oilfield service companies of the "big four group" have announced the closure of work in Russia due to its aggression against Ukraine.
American Halliburton was the first one to make a statement about the immediate cessation of activities in Russia. The company emphasized that it does not have joint ventures in Russia. Halliburton stopped the supply of spare parts and products to Russia a few weeks ago.
"We are deeply upset by the war in Ukraine. We have employees in both Ukraine and Russia, and the conflict substantially impacts them, their families, and loved ones throughout the whole region. From the very beginning of this conflict, we have focused on the safety of employees and compliance with all relevant sanctions, "the company said in a statement.
Halliburton is the second-largest oilfield service company in the world; its clients were "Gazprom," "Gazprom Nafta," "Rosneft," "LUKOIL," and others.
The next one to cancel plans in Russia was the international company Schlumberger, which deals with the maintenance of oil fields. "We have decided to immediately suspend the introduction of new investments and technologies for operations in Russia. We continue to monitor this dynamic situation actively. We will conduct all the existing activities in full compliance with applicable international laws and sanctions, " - said Olivier Le Peuch, President of the Company.
The American company Baker Hughes, which provides products and services for oilfield drilling, formation assessment, completion, and mining consulting, has also announced the cessation of new investments in Russia. The website said that the company continues to comply with applicable laws and sanctions as its current contractual obligations are met.
Weatherford, one of the world's four largest oil companies, has not yet announced its plans for Russia.
Earlier, energy companies BP, Shell, Equinor, Eni, and Exxon Mobil suspended operations or announced leaving businesses in Russia.
On 8 March 2022, the United States banned imports of Russian oil and gas.