Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

The United States government fined the world’s leading supplier of oil and gas industry with full range of modern technology for violation of sanctions.

The U.S. has slapped Schlumberger with a $232.7 million fine for “violating” its sanctions on Iran and Sudan, Press TV reported.

The U.S. Justice Department said the company had admitted to “knowingly and willfully conspiring to violate” unilateral American sanctions.

The French-U.S. services company is charged with secretly providing services to Iran and Sudan.

While Schlumberger Oilfield Holdings was allowed to work in both countries, the government said the fine involved the company’s U.S. Drilling and Measurements unit.

"Over a period of years, Schlumberger Oilfield Holdings Ltd. conducted business with Iran and Sudan from the U.S. and took steps to disguise those business dealings,” John Carlin, U.S. assistant attorney general for national security, was quoted as saying.

The U.S. and EU imposed sanctions on Iran's oil and financial sectors at the beginning of 2012 due to claims of potential deviation toward non-civilian purposes in Iran's nuclear energy program. Iran has repeatedly denied Western allegations against its nuclear energy program.

The sanctions are aimed to prevent other countries from purchasing Iranian oil and conducting transactions with the Central Bank of Iran. At the end of 2012, the EU foreign ministers reached an agreement on another round of sanctions against Iran.

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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SaraRajabova

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